The Rebirth of Pendulum and Loss of Another
by BasketballIsFun
Summary: Yuya and his counterparts have been freed from Zarc's influence, but at what cost? A world where they've been forgotten, where the one person Yuya fought so hard to save is gone, wiped from history. To rectify this, Yuya and his kindred spirits face the impossible task of pacifying the demon duelist, so that he and another wandering soul may finally rest. AU from Episode 141.
1. Revelations

**Hey there, welcome to my first Arc-V Fanfic! I know you guys are probably just here for the story, so I'll leave most of the A/N for the end.**

 **I don't own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V, for the record. ;)**

* * *

Yuya woke up excitedly in anticipation of the day's events. Ever since he had gotten back to his dimension after defeating Duel Academy and stopping Leo Akaba's ambitions, things were more or less back to normal for him. Today, he was going to have a demo duel with Tatsuya, Ayu, and Futoshi in preparation of his semifinal match in the Maiami Championship, though his opponent hadn't been revealed yet. Afterwards, he planned to spend time with his dad who had been uncarded in the brief time the dimensions had united and just play a game of catch up on what they've missed the past three years.

Elsewhere in the other dimensions, the Xyzians were slowly rebuilding their homeland with help coming in from all dimensions, and it was touching to see those scarred by the cruelties of war manage to bounce back in such a manner. Yuya made note to visit someday and chip in a bit, perhaps with a duel to mix things up a bit. The government of Neo Domino City underwent a massive overhaul as society worked to make classifications like Tops and Commons a thing of the past, the two sides working towards equality at last now that Roget was no longer appointed. The Fusion Dimension, Duel Academy in particular, was a bit more of a tricky case. Some having only been taught to duel ruthlessly and see the noble goal of uniting the dimensions to the end, not everyone was compliant in acknowledging the fact that the war was over and that it was time to move on, even after Zarc's revival. Rehabilitation would be a slow process for some, no doubt, but Yuya remained hopeful tensions would die down over time.

After glancing at the time, Yuya hurriedly said goodbye to his mom and darted out the front door before he was late. While running to the You Show Duel School, Yuya had an odd feeling that something was… missing, a sensation that made him feel incomplete in a way. It nagged at him during the walk, so much so that he swore he was hearing voices in his head.

 _So, you're finally starting to remember, huh._ The voice sounded like him, and yet… it wasn't at the same time. Yuya did a quick 360 like the other times he had that morning, only to discover that he was still alone.

 _Where's that voice coming from? And why do I get the feeling it's not just my imagination?_ Yuya wondered, unable to recall just how much casualties there were when he was literally reborn as the demon duelist.

 _I guess that's progress,_ another voice chimed in, this one sounding a little more lighthearted and goofier. Yuya couldn't quite pin down the significance behind it, but he didn't want to ignore the voice altogether, not that he could anyway, even if he had the choice.

By the time he entered You Show Duel School, his composure shaken slightly, Yuya was not at all ready for the bombardment of praise he received as the kids greeted him.

"Big bro Yuya! You did it!" Ayu exclaimed

"Yeah, you're practically an interdimensional savior!" Tatsuya continued, though the irony was not lost on Yuya that he had very nearly been their undoing as well.

"It gives me the shivers, and definitely the good kind as well!" Futoshi said, breaking out into a mini dance.

The kids blitzed Yuya with question after question regarding the other dimensions, the kind of monsters they used, what the people were like, and some other trivial matters. Yuya did his best to answer, but he was practically on another planet mentally, his sense of unease continuing to grow through it all.

Fortunately, Principal Shuzo stepped in before he could get overwhelmed, prompting the kids to inquire about the main event.

"So… are we still going to duel today?" Tatsuya asked. "I mean, I know you just got back and you have a match later today…"

 _The duel, maybe that'll help take my mind off things for a bit._ "You know me guys, it's always showtime for me when it comes to dueling!" Yuya declared, a genuine smile crossing his face for the first time as he led the kids into the Action Field.

Tatsuya had a strong opening as usual, setting the Pendulum Scale with his Desktop monsters and having Deskbot-005 and 006 out in his field, a tough defensive core to break through. However, this didn't do anything to reassure Yuya of any normalcy. In fact, he couldn't recall Tatsuya using Pendulums before, and yet he hadn't reacted with surprise at all.

"Not bad Tatsuya," Yuya said, suppressing his unease with everything he had as he tried to focus on making his turn. "But now it's my turn, I draw!"

Yuya's eyes widened, he had drawn the spell card he had activated when he had briefly taken back control of his body from Zarc: Smile Universe. _But how did it get in my deck?_ he wondered. _The only reason I was able to break free and activate it was because… because of someone's voice! Not like the ones I've been hearing in my head this morning, but it came from someone important to me, someone I was willing to fight for… Gongenzaka? No, I think it was a girl's voice, a person my age. But then who? Gongenzaka was my only real friend growing up, one of the Lancers, maybe?_

"Big bro Yuya, you gotta make your move!" Ayu said to him somewhat impatiently, the inactive timer counting down to its last seconds.

Yuya could no longer mask the tension he was harbouring, his voice quivering as he made his move. "I—I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 6 Performapal Guitartle," he managed to say, the monster rising in the pillar of light with a happy cry as a big '6' appeared it under it.

"It—its special ability allows me to draw one card from my deck," Yuya explained, closing his eyes to try and find his confidence, not wanting the kids to know just how much of a wreck he was mentally. "Here we go! I draw!"

His determination to remain strong didn't last long, as the card he drew was Performapal Five Rainbow Magician, he definitely didn't have this card in his deck before. This card seemed to resonate with him, to the point where Yuya felt as though he could speak to it. It began to shine brightly, a sense of euphoria spreading through him in the process, as if the card was imbued with positive energy. He could faintly hear the kids call out to him to make his move, but Yuya was totally out of it now, his focus strictly on the monster as it shined. Eventually, the card's aura encapsulated Yuya in a glowing ball of light, isolating him from everyone's sight.

* * *

When Yuya opened his eyes, he found himself in a completely different area altogether, walking on what he felt like were clouds, the sky—assuming he wasn't in the sky already—tinted with a hint of pink. The landscape seemed to carry on endlessly. If Yuya was to be asked what he thought heaven looked like, there was a good chance he would describe something similar to this place.

"Where am I? Did you do this, Five Rainbow Magician?" Yuya questioned, inspecting the card closely. He knew that duel monsters were more than just their cards, possessing feelings of their own, capable of wielding great power beyond mere attack points, in some cases being able to alter the fabric of reality itself. In this case, Five Rainbow Magician certainly had that feeling to it; Yuya could feel just the card itself radiate immense power.

"That card was created after you were freed from the darkness," a calming, feminine voice explained, the sound coming from an angelic like figure that seemed to embody a spirit of purity. Despite the fact that Yuya couldn't make out any of her features, her presence certainly helped, putting him at far more ease. "It was born out of your bond with her," the voice continued.

"Her? You mean like the voice that let me break free of Zarc?!" Yuya exclaimed, wondering how he could've forgotten about someone who seemed to be of such significance to him.

"Indeed," her voice seemed to take on a tone that Yuya's teachers often used in an attempt to nudge him in the right direction when doing worksheets in class, giving him a brief confirmation regarding one part of the problem to allow him to put the pieces together.

"You-you sound almost just like her… you and Five Rainbow Magician, both of you are like symbols of hope and purity, a reason to keep fighting. For me, if you two were by my side this entire time, I'd never give up working to make the whole world… no, all the dimensions smile! I never really thought about anyone that way except for… for…" A fleeting image of the figure went through his mind, Yuya desperate to hold onto it, but to no avail. "AUUUGH! I just can't remember, it's right on the tip of my tongue too…"

He was interrupted by another glow coming from his deck. Curiously, Yuya skimmed through it to reveal his first Pendulum monsters emitting a luminous, purely white light: Stargazer and Timegazer Magicians. The instant he touched the cards, a series of images flooded through him: he and the mystery girl walking to school together, playing on the playground, a teasing joke ending with him getting smacked by her paper fan, growing as duelists together, traveling through dimensions to find her, the letter… _The letter, that's right! I wrote that for… YUZU!_ He recognized this as the memories continued to resurface, Yuya then recalling their heartfelt reunion after rescuing her from Roget, and finally the clash with Zarc, the sight of her spirit enough to free him. _How could I have ever forgotten about her, the way she was always there for me… I wouldn't trade her for the world!_

"Yuzu, where is she? What happened to her?" Yuya asked.

 _Well, it's about time! I was worried we were literally going to have to spell it out for you. Guess I was wrong, Fusion. Though to be fair, I thought that if you saw your Extra Deck, it'd tip you off right away,_ Yuya turned around, and finally he could see them. Not them… it looked like they _were_ him from another reality. _Like… another dimension!_ Yuya realized.

"Yuri!" he shouted in disbelief, the Fusion counterpart smiling mischievously. Before he could question his doppelganger's presence, the other voice he had been hearing sporadically this morning retorted, sounding upset.

 _It's not Fusion, it's Yugo! Get it right already!_

"Yugo!"

 _Good to have you back, it was hard watching you flounder around in the dark all morning,_ the voice Yuya identified as the first who had tried to speak out to him, the one belonging to the counterpart Yuya actually had some history with.

"Yuto!"

"I see you've become acquainted with the souls living among you," the angelic-like figure stated plainly.

 _She can hear us?!_ The counterparts all yelled, causing Yuya to wince in pain.

"Yes, I can, thanks to the powers imbued in Five Rainbow Magician that created this landscape."

"What is this place anyway?" Yuya inquired.

"You could call it a bridge, a nexus point of some sort between the living and… other souls that haven't quite moved on to the afterlife yet. It's essentially a limbo."

"Alright then…" Yuya said, trying to process this new development. "How did all this happen anyway? Why are Yuto, Yugo, and Yuri a part of me now?"

"After the duel with Zarc, Reira was able to seal him within her with my help. It took a great of energy to prevent his spirit from overwhelming her and then and there. Unfortunately, the cards—no, _I_ didn't have the strength to separate you four afterwards, so now you still remain merged as one."

 _'You mean this is permanent?'_ Yuto exclaimed.

 _'I can't spend the rest of my life sharing a body with Yuri!'_ Yugo said, glowering at said person.

 _'Quite frankly, I hardly doubt anyone will miss me at Duel Academy. I suppose there could be worse arrangements,'_ the Fusion duelist said with a shrug.

"I'm sorry, but extracting Zarc's essence to remove his soul from the dragons was virtually the only thing we could do, otherwise history would merely repeat itself. It took all the might of the En Cards and myself to seal him away in Reira…" she elaborated.

"Reira… the En Cards," Yuya murmured. "That must mean you're—"

"Yes, I am Ray, or at least this is what's left of me."

"What's left of you? But if you're here, then Yuzu's…" Yuya couldn't bring himself to finish the thought.

"Yuzu and the others can still be revived. But I'm afraid the process won't be easy, you and your counterparts will have shoulder a great deal of the burden alone, Yuya."

"The others? That's right, it wasn't just Zarc, you were separated initially too, Ray," Yuya recalled, his counterparts—well, mainly Yugo—getting on his case for having forgotten about Ray's other reincarnations.

Yuya moved on to the next point of interest before the Speedroid user gave him a headache from all his yelling about Rin. "What do we have to do to bring them back? And how hard will it be, what're we up against here?"

"It won't be easy, Yuya, because any traces of their existence, along with Yuto, Yugo, and Yuri's have been completely erased from history. The memories of those you've all encountered have been altered to reflect this altered timeline. Yuya, you're the only one who remembers and likely the only one who will until the girls are revived."

 _Oh good, now truly no one will miss me, I may as well be a ghost at this point,_ Yuri quipped.

Ray drew closer to Yuya, her face becoming more defined into an expression of worry. "Yuya, I know this won't deter you or the others one bit, but you must be fully up to the task. To bring them back, you will have to pacify Zarc from within Reira. His soul fights to overwhelm Reira's with darkness, and my presence is the only thing stopping him for the time being."

Yuya took a moment to comprehend her words. "W-we have to _pacify_ Zarc somehow? How can we, even you couldn't do it, and you're from his world, a direct link to him!"

"It's true that me and Zarc knew each other back in the United World, and that like you and all of Yuzu's counterparts, we were close. Perhaps I felt something more for him at the time, and hardly a minute goes by in which I don't think about what I could've done to stop him from falling to the darkness. I suspect that is why my soul cannot rest now, even if I were to release my seal on him within Reira. Ever since I split us both, our fates have become intertwined," Ray looked off into the distance, her eyes taking on a glazed look as she spoke, a single tear flowing down her elegant face.

"Yuya, despite our history, all that was a lifetime ago. Zarc has severed those bonds with me long ago. You four on the other hand, all of you are pieces of Zarc, but so much more at the same time. Despite initially starting out as his fragments, you've all evolved beyond him through your own experiences to become your own people," Ray explained, her statement getting a frown from Yuri, who simply thought, _That's questionable._ "If you show Zarc just how much you've grown through your dueling and remind him who he used to be, who he _could've_ been had he not succumbed to the pressure, that may just be enough to bring peace to his soul."

"Okay, I get pacifying Zarc, but... what about our dragons?" Yuya asked quietly. "Will they be okay with this? I don't want them to feel like they're being used as tools again like back in the United World. They've suffered long enough and have their own feelings and wishes in all this."

"The Dimensional Dragons still harbor animosity, and some pure hatred towards humanity for encouraging the corruption of Zarc," Ray stated. "But I also sense a great deal of guilt and remorse within some of them as well, Odd Eyes and Dark Rebellion have a great desire to repent for their role in it all."

Yuya was surprised to hear this; could that willingness to repent and forgive be attributed to him, the way the dragons bought into his style of dueling? If that was the case, Yuya supposed that in itself was proof of his growth beyond being just Zarc's fragment.

"You can tell?"

Ray nodded. "To a certain extent, yes. Yuya, you were able to get the dragons you've connected with to change, to see you as more than just an illusion of Zarc. If you can reach their hearts and wipe away their desire for vengeance, you can get to Zarc's as well in due time. You're the _only_ one who can."

The woman then sighed, looking at Yuya's form with a sad face. "I'm sorry, you boys don't deserve this… You aren't just Zarc's fragments, you've each lived your own lives and it was wrong of me to take that choice away, even if to seal him away… Now you have to clean up this mess for me," Ray lamented.

Yuya reached over to console the elder Akaba with a steady hand. "Hey, I understand, we all do. You made a tough decision to avoid letting Zarc potentially resurrect again. I promise Ray, we won't let you down. Together, we're going to put you and Zarc at peace and allow the two of you to move on," he declared, his conviction pure.

"Thank you, Yuya… I wish you the best from here on out. My journey in the living world is coming to a close now. I will have to devote most of my energy to ensure Zarc doesn't corrupt Reira's soul for the meantime. And Yuya?"

"Hmm?" Yuya met her eyes; he saw so much of Yuzu within them.

"Make sure to put on a show for him, for all of us," Ray said with a small smile before she disappeared. However, she left another parting message, one that Yuya and the others could hear echoing in his ears as the scenery faded away.

 _Good luck, Yuya…_

* * *

"… ya? Can you hear…? Yuya!"

"Yu…zu?" the _dueltainer_ managed to sputter out as he found himself sprawled on the ground, a splitting headache having resulted from his journey on the apparent bridge to heaven. As he got his bearings, it all came rushing back: Ray, Zarc's soul, his fusion with his counterparts likely being permanent, the tidbit that he was likely the only one aware of this information in all the dimensions, and… _Yuzu…_

It was a lot to take in, so much so that Yuya wasn't even aware of all the concerned looks he was receiving as he got back up to his feet gingerly.

"Um, Yuya? You sure you're alright?" Shuzo asked tentatively, the principal not wanting to acknowledge the fact that Yuya has just been swallowed up in a sphere of bright light just a few seconds ago.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I'm fine guys, don't worry," Yuya scratched his head, trying to figure out how he could talk his way out of this. His response was met by skepticism and more concern, though he couldn't really blame them considering he had just dropped dead momentarily. "Really, I'm okay. I just uh, remembered something, kinda slipped my mind till now."

"Remembered what, big bro Yuya?" Ayu questioned.

"It must've been important if remembering it made you collapse just like that," Tatsuya remarked.

' _These kids are going to get annoying fast,_ ' Yuri groaned, his spirit materializing next to Yuya.

' _Well_ , _I think they're pretty cool. Not that anyone asked for your opinion,_ _Yuri,_ ' Yugo's reply was almost automatic to go with the scowl on his face. ' _Then again, I did grow up in an orphanage, so bias, maybe?_ '

Yuya was already having trouble coming up with an answer, and the commentary was certainly not helping. Sensing this, Yuto silently berated the two other counterparts, which greatly cleared up his headspace. "Yeah… I was supposed to well, see Reiji Akaba today. He said he needed me there early today for some preparations before my duel," Yuya told them, his mind in disarray the entire time he spoke.

 _Nice save,_ Yuri said teasingly. Yuya was going to have a discussion later with the boy to reduce his snarky comments quota, or at least save some of them for after the whole Zarc debacle was over.

"Hmm, I see. But what about that glowing ball of light you were in?" Shuzo inquired, bringing up the question Yuya trulyhad no answer for this time. "Was it, was it coming from one of your _cards?_ "

Having hit the nail on the head, Yuya conceded to his guess with a nod. "It was this card that did it," he answered, handing Five Rainbow Magician for Shuzo and the kids to look at. The man hesitated for a moment, looking at the card warily until curiosity got the better of him.

"Five Rainbow Magician?" Shuzo raised an eyebrow when he saw the monster. "Let's see… It's Scale 12, holy cow! And its abilities, these are insane! I've never seen anything like it!"

"Let me see!" Tatsuya exclaimed, all the kids huddled around with their heads up.

Shuzo had an incredulous look on his face as he handed the card back. "Yuya, how did you get this monster?"

The boy sighed, knowing what he had to do. "The same way I got my other Pendulum cards," he replied vaguely, hoping that would satisfy them.

"Right… you know, I never really figured out how you got your Pendulum cards in the first place, we've seen you duel with Stargazer, Timegazer, and Odd Eyes countless times, but that monster? There's something about it, it feels special somehow," Shuzo told him, stroking his chin with his face in an expression of deep thought.

 _Oh, you have no idea,_ Yugo chimed in, to which Yuya turned his head the slightest to meet the counterpart's grin.

"Anyway, I don't know how I didn't put it together before, but Yuya, it's like you can just create cards out of thin air," Shuzo continued, going down the road Yuya was hoping they could avoid for now.

His hesitation in answering only confirmed the principal's suspicions. "Is it true, big bro Yuya?" Futoshi added, the kids all in awe.

"Yes, it's true," Yuya admitted with a reluctant nod. "If you really want to confirm it, just take a look at my deck. I haven't bought a single card during my time in the other dimensions, but it's packed now."

He unveiled monsters they had never seen before: Enlightenment and Nirvana High Paladin, Clear Wing and Starve Venom and their respective evolved forms, Brave Eyes Pendulum Dragon, and Odd Eyes Rebellion Dragon (though Raging Dragon was gone somehow).

"In—incredible! Yuya, you're saying all of these cards just showed up in your deck one day?" Shuzo looked like he was on the verge of collapse as he looked on in amazement.

He tried to shrug it off. "Usually, they just appear whenever I'm in a pinch. That's all there is to it."

"Well, okay then, it's certainly a lot to take in," Shuzo replied after a brief silence.

 _Oh, you have no idea,_ Yuri commented with a chuckle. Yuya had a feeling the four of them would be repeating that line a lot for the near future.

"Yuya, what are you going to do with these cards now?" Shuzo inquired. "I mean, if you don't mind me asking."

"Just keep them in my deck, I guess. They offer a lot of variety when it comes to my dueling and I'll need them to put on a show," the tomato haired boy replied with a bit of forced enthusiasm.

"Well good, because with that deck, I don't think anyone can stop you from being a pro!"

"Yeah…" Yuya replied, before trailing off into his own thoughts.

 _It's not just about becoming a pro now though, we have to save Yuzu and the others too,_ Yuya thought worriedly, wondering now if he and his counterparts were ready for what lied ahead. _And we're gonna have to do a lot of it alone too…_

 _It's like they say: Ignorance truly is bliss,_ Yuri added.

 _Yuri, I'd much prefer to be in the know about these things,_ Yuto informed the purple haired boy in a diplomatic manner.

 _Oh, come now Yuto-san, I was just joking. After all, I was making a pretty conscious effort to get through to Yuya this morning._

Seeing the boy's spaced out look, Shuzo decided they had grilled him enough, he certainly got more than he bargained for on Yuya's first day back.

"How about I drive you over to LDS to see Reiji now, I think we've put you on the spot enough for one day," the principal offered, snapping Yuya to attention.

"Yeah… that'd be good," Yuya replied, instantly beginning to head for the door.

 _Poor Yuya, the war's over, and even now he can't relax,_ Shuzo thought with a frown. _Can't say I blame him though, what he went through must've been traumatizing._

Of course, the teacher had no idea it wasn't over yet, that Yuya still had one more daunting task to complete, with a great deal of the responsibility falling on him and his counterparts as one and one alone.

 _It won't be easy,_ Yuya recalled Ray's words as he stepped out onto the sidewalk.

 _Talk about an understatement._

* * *

 **So, I recently just binged the entire series of Arc-V 3 months ago on Netflix when I was bored one day, the first Yu-Gi-Oh series I've watched since Season 3 of GX first debuted, I believe. And I was pretty much instantly hooked, I loved Yuya and Yuzu's characters, their dynamic, and all the summoning methods being used (even if I was confused as hell at times because I hadn't seen the show in about ten-ish years). I breezed through the first two seasons in about 2 days, though naturally, I noticed a slight decay in quality through the Synchro Arc like everyone else. And then of course, there was Season 3 that I had to find online. It had its moments sure, but they were few and far between. I hated how the Bracelet girls were treated, and it wasn't even about the whole parasite thing to be honest. Fine, brainwash them, that's okay, BUT GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DO AFTERWARDS INSTEAD OF WATCHING IN A GLASS TUBE! Zarc had a lot of wasted potential as well, the creators really didn't think to imply of a connection between him and Ray despite all their reincarnations being close? (except for Yuri and Serena, but that's the Professor's fault) Pfft.**

 **But anyway, when I got down to thinking about it, I wasn't really too upset at Season 3 in general. It was just the fact that there was no payoff in the end, it just felt hollow. I guess that's why Fanfiction's a thing. You build up Zarc, and he literally loses twice to the exact same strategy. Why is Leo Akaba not in prison for his crimes? Ray was pretty much a deux ex machina, and I hate the writers for forgetting that the Dimensional Dragons are sentient monsters who actually have feelings. Also, the lack of the four Yu-boys interacting within Yuya annoyed me, but I think that was due to VA contract issues, so I'll give them a pass there.**

 **Despite all that, I still love the series in general, if I didn't, I wouldn't be writing this. So hopefully this fic helps clear up a lot of the things Arc-V failed to address in the end.**

 **Anyhow, if you're enjoying this fic so far, follow, fav, review, and all that other good stuff. Appreciate any support I can get! It took me a while to think up the concept for this story, I thought the whole amnesia thing after Zarc's defeat had potential, so I thought, 'Why not have everyone forget but Yuya? It'd be cool to see him flounder around while everyone else thinks things are okay, but he's still missing the most important person in his life.' Yuri is honestly one of my favorite characters to write, I will focus a bit on his redemption that the anime failed to provide even a smidge of in future chapters, for now, Yuya's just rolling along with everything. Speaking of future chapters, I've got about 5 plotted out at the moment, though I gotta say, writing the duels is going to be a pain.**

 **Stargazer and Timegazer were able to restore Yuya's memories by the way, in case it wasn't clear. Stargazer helped his mind access the true timeline (master of space, so it can access alternate worlds and stuff), while Timegazer gave him back his memories of that timeline because master of time and all that. Also, yes, I did have Zarc be absorbed into Reira like before, but I'll try to do more with that storyline and give a more rational explanation for it, like I did here.**

 **Just a heads up, I'll be taking concepts for the dub and sub when it comes to monster chants, attacks, and whatnot when I get into some duels later on.**

 **Probably should get a beta for this story, but eh, screw it.**

 **This is probably the longest A/N I've ever written,**

 **-BasketballIsFun**


	2. Fabrications

**Thanks to Green Phantom Queen, Villain Princess, nightshroud96, and hlglh for reviewing the last chapter! The positive reception kind of caught me off guard, so as thanks, I tried to push out this next chapter earlier than expected.**

* * *

The drive to LDS was fairly uneventful, as Yuya spent most of it contemplating his situation in the back seat. Shuzo didn't want to pressure the boy with more questions, so what resulted was a deathly silent awkward car ride. Yuya thought about informing the principal about Yuzu's disappearance, but decided against it knowing Shuzo didn't have anything, not even a memento of hers to jog his memory.

 _Yuzu… I promised everyone I would bring you home. It feels so long ago, but I'm not going to break that promise now, not while you and the other girls' lives are counting on me,_ Yuya thought determinedly.

"Here we are," Shuzo's voice brought him back to reality as he parked beside the Leo Corporation's tower that loomed over the city. "Do you, uh, want me to wait in the car or…"

"You can just head back to You Show now and take the kids to the arena. I prefer walking there," Yuya replied while opening the car door.

"Alright then, Yuya. Just be careful, okay?" the dueltainer nodded in response before Shuzo continued. "Don't want any more incidents today."

Yuya's face twitched slightly at the mention of his 'accident', but said nothing as he entered the building. Despite everything he had seen, the duel school still impressed him with all its fancy décor and intricate design as he ventured through the main lobby. He couldn't help but notice all the stares he received as he walked by, hearing snippets of conversation here and then, all of it praise and excitement over being in the presence of an 'interdimensional savior'.

" _Oh great, you have a fanbase now_ ," Yuri groaned inwardly. ' _This will get old fast.'_

Yugo was far more effusive in his demeanor, " _Speak for yourself, it's been my lifelong dream to earn the cheers of the crowd at the Friendship Cup_. _This is great!"_

" _How long before you become an interdimensional celebrity, Yuya?"_ Yuto added with a slight smirk on his face.

" _Did… did you just make a joke, Yuto? That's gotta be one for the record books,"_ Yuri gasped in faux shock. " _And to answer your question, isn't he one already?"_

Yuya chuckled at his counterparts' banter; with them around, there would never be a boring moment. " _I think we're all starting to rub off on each other,"_ he deduced. " _At least from what I've seen."_

" _Well, that does make sense. After all, we were initially one and the same person,"_ Yuto pointed out.

During his internal conversation, Yuya had made it to the front desk, a disinterested woman typing rapidly on a desktop computer. She glanced up momentarily when noticing him, but immediately went back to her business when she saw that he wasn't an employee in any capacity.

" _Okay, I take that back, having the spotlight on you is much preferable to this kind of treatment,"_ Yuri said, retracting his original statement. " _What is wrong with this woman?"_

After clearing his throat a few times, Yuya managed to get her attention again, "Hello? Hi, I'm Yuya Sakaki, I'm here to speak to Reiji Akaba about something important."

"Do you have an appointment or are you here for official business?" the receptionist asked monotonously.

"Er… no. But if you pass on the message to Reiji, I'm sure he'll—"

"The president's schedule is full at the moment in preparation of the Junior Arc League Championship reopening, please come back at a later date."

"Wait!" Yuya shouted before the lady dismissed him entirely. "I'm actually here on official business for the Junior Arc League Championship!"

"What is your business with Mr. Akaba then?"

"I, uh, have to meet with Reiji to help coordinate the event. Yeah, we're, um, working on a custom Action Field to be revealed for the finals. And we have to discuss my role in the opening ceremonies and some other stuff. Please, just tell Reiji, he'll know what I'm talking about."

 _Nice save,_ Yuri commented with a smirk.

The receptionist sighed as if she'd rather be anywhere else in the moment, "Very well, I shall inform one of his associates." She picked up a phone and dialed, explaining the situation to whomever was on the other line.

After a few moments, the lady shook her head, much to Yuya's surprise. "Mr. Akaba says he will see you at the tournament this afternoon and that there is no reason for you two to interact at the moment."

"Wait, just one last thing!" Yuya exclaimed before the woman became too engrossed in her work.

She gave him a death glare, "Kid, you're leaving now, otherwise I'm calling security."

Yuya then leaned in, meeting her eyes. The woman was taken by surprise, raising an eyebrow in questioning, "Tell them I know how to fix Reira, that I can free him from Zarc and bring him back to normal."

After a few moments where neither of them made a move, Yuya relented, "If Reiji still doesn't want to see me, I'll leave. Peacefully. Please, just make the call."

Eventually, she did, informing someone of the new detail Yuya had just put out. The woman looked to him with a bewildered face once she received an answer.

"The president wants to meet with you immediately. Nakajima will come to escort you now."

* * *

"Apologies for the treatment Mr. Sakaki, our receptionist just transferred here recently from overseas. When we first got the call, all she told us was that 'some kid in the tournament wants to meet with the president', but when we got her second message, we knew it was you," Nakajima explained, fiddling with a tablet the entire time up the elevator.

"No worries, I'm just glad Reiji allowed me to come here in the first place," Yuya told the man, relieved that everything was cleared up now.

"You've done quite a lot for him, for all of us, Yuya. The Leo Corporation will always be indebted to you and the other Lancers for the things you've accomplished," Reiji's right-hand man replied offhandedly as the elevator reached the top floor with a ding.

Yuya was quickly escorted to Reiji's private office, a quaint room decorated with several paintings and glass shelves, topped off with a view out the window overlooking the entire city. Nakajima brought him in and promptly closed the door, leaving Yuya and the three spirits with him alone with Reiji and a baby in a stroller.

The young President of the Leo Corporation was currently sitting behind his desk with his hands folded together, studying Yuya closely as he pushed up his glasses. Yuya wasn't sure what to say; should he just get right into describing the situation Ray had outlined to see if that would trigger something in Reiji's memory regarding the other counterparts?

"I've been expecting your arrival, Yuya," Reiji began, beckoning the boy to have a seat across from him as he spoke again. "When Reira sealed away Zarc's essence, I suspected there were great consequences in doing so. That _is_ why you're here, isn't it? To discuss those consequences?"

"I, uh, yeah, you're right," Yuya stuttered, "How is Reira doing anyway?" He shuddered at the thought of the demonic duelist threatening to corrupt the young boy.

"You can see for yourself," Reiji gestured over to the stroller, connecting the dots for Yuya.

"You don't mean…" he was almost breathless at this revelation.

"I do. When Reira absorbed Zarc, he was transformed back into a toddler, and it seems to have brought out a more feminine quality in he— _her_. We think it was likely a defense mechanism to minimize the damage Zarc can do should he reawaken, he can't cause much destruction while possessing a three-year-old. But just to be safe, we've also removed Reira's duel disk."

Yuya peered over at the baby, whose face was entirely vacant, no hint of emotion whatsoever appearing. Blank, dull eyes stared back at him, the _girl_ Reira remaining disturbingly motionless the entire time he looked at her.

"We've run some tests, and Zarc's presence has already had an effect on her, ranging from irregular heartbeat, low brain activity, and as you just saw, high inactivity in general. She's a shell of her former self and I doubt Zarc has fully awakened at this point," Reiji explained calmly, despite the grim situation he had just described.

"If you don't mind me asking, why is Reira a girl now? I know it isn't all that relevant, but still…" Yuya trailed off as he pondered the question.

"We believe it was a side effect of her allowing Ray to use her body as a conduit to duel Zarc. Her presence still lingers within Reira according to our tests, a purifying force to contrast Zarc's darkness."

"So, you do remember Ray," Yuya said quietly. This certainly changed things if everyone's memory of her was still intact, maybe it wouldn't be so hard to convince people of her reincarnations' existence.

"Of course I do, she saved the very fabric of existence twice now," Reiji replied, trying to hide his annoyance for how Yuya was approaching the situation. The president could sense the aspiring dueltainer was hiding something, judging from the way his eyes darted around, never quite meeting his, and how his hands shook every so often, as if he was rattled in some way. "But I believe this wasn't supposed to be a debriefing. You said you have a solution to expel Zarc's presence from Reira, let's hear it."

 _Well, this is it. All or nothing now, guys,_ Yuya told his counterparts before diving into the scenario mapped out by Ray. During parts of it, his claims were met by skepticism from Reiji, though Yuya could hardly blame him. After all, how could you possibly pacify the bloodthirsty duelist who only sought to destroy?

"It'll work Reiji, trust me," Yuya said, meeting the president's eyes.

"It still sounds like a long shot, Yuya. I don't know how you could possibly pull it off, but seeing as though we have little to no other options… I'm not going to stop you from trying," Reiji concluded, resigned to Yuya's plan. "How will your dragons play into this though, assuming you still have them?"

"I'm going to use them too, they share the deepest connection with Zarc, if I can help them renounce their anger and desire for revenge, I can definitely purify Zarc's heart of it too."

"It could be dangerous, seeing as though summoning the dragons will only make Zarc stronger, but at the same time, there may be not another way. Very well then, Yuya, you have my full support on behalf of the Leo Corporation," Reiji said with a nod.

"I won't let you down, Reiji. I'm going to free Reira of Zarc, let him and Ray pass on in peace like they should've long ago, and then bring back Yuzu and the others," Yuya told the president.

"Yuzu?" Reiji repeated, the name rolling off his tongue easily, but still sounding unfamiliar.

" _Guess it was too much to hope Reiji remembered too. Looks like Ray was right, it'll be up to us,"_ Yuya informed his other counterparts.

" _Anything to save Rin! Together, there's no way we can fail!"_ Yugo started to get pumped up at the prospect of reuniting with the green haired Ray reincarnation, even if it was through Yuya.

" _As long as we work as one, we can do it. But we have to be on the same page, all of us,"_ Yuto aimed that last comment at Yuri, everyone still not all that enamoured with the Predaplant user.

" _Kinda ironic that you're preaching about harmony when your Phantom Knights rely on stealth and working in the shadows,"_ the Fusion duelist quipped. " _But yes, I agree that we'll have to work cohesively, don't worry, I'm on board."_

Yuya shifted his attention back to the conversation at hand, "You mean you don't remember, Reiji? Just like how I'm Zarc's reincarnation, Yuzu is Ray's. Think about it, why would Ray not be reborn if she was exposed to the same energy Zarc was with the En Cards?"

Reiji frowned and thought this over. It sounded plausible enough, however… "My father scoured out all the dimensions for signs of Ray, Yuya. All he could find were traces of her life force spread around, nothing more. If Ray was in fact reborn, Yuya, my father would've tracked her down a long time ago."

Yuya did his best to take in this new information in stride. In the manufactured timeline Reiji recalled, Ray had supposedly never been reborn, only her energy was spread throughout the dimensions. An explanation with no glaring holes in it, difficult to debunk. It did make sense, so Yuya changed tactics in trying to remind Reiji of her existence.

"Reiji, do you remember the time we dueled after the Battle Royal?" he asked, knowing the answer already.

"Yes, you were dueling me with everything you had out of anger for how I used the Battle Royal to find duelists to join the Lancers. At the time, I was quite impressed with how far you had come in such little time. It gave a glimpse of just how fierce a duelist you could be when you dueled with all you had. Why do you ask?"

"Because it wasn't just about you using the Battle Royal to find duelists for me. Back then, I made it personal because the Battle Royal was how Yuzu ended up disappearing. I wanted to finish you with a burning passion, you must remember that at least. I-I wouldn't have lashed out had only strangers to me been carded," Yuya insisted, hoping with everything he had that he could trigger something, _anything,_ in the president's mind.

Meanwhile, Reiji was beginning to wonder if Zarc had left some imprint of PTSD regarding Ray on Yuya, to the point where Yuya's mind was inserting flashes of Ray's supposed reincarnation throughout his memories. Nothing else made sense otherwise. There was no person in Miami City named Yuzu who had any connection to Yuya, Reiji knew that through the extensive background check his team had done on Yuya after his Pendulum cards were introduced.

"I'm sorry, Yuya, but you've said nothing to prove your claim that Ray had a reincarnation of her own. No one, not even my father knows how close Ray was to Zarc when she activated the En Cards. Your outburst at the Battle Royal was simply because you _care_ so much about others, even people you don't know. I suspect Zarc's influence may have altered your memories; after all, he's been humiliated by Ray twice now."

"Reiji, I swear I'm telling the truth, I—"

"And I'm suggesting that you may need to sort that out, Yuya. A psychiatrist will help, because even now, Zarc may be manipulating you. Now then, I believe we have a tournament to finish today."

"But—"

"I look forward to seeing you compete. Nakajima, please escort Yuya out."

Before Yuya could even get another word in edgewise, Reiji's close associate grabbed him by the arm and promptly had him exit the room. The elevator ride down was utterly silent, Yuya still lamenting over being unable to convince Reiji of anything. Soon enough, he found himself back in the grand lobby in the blink of an eye.

Trudging out of the building, the idea of a long walk appealed to Yuya, just so he could think amongst himself and the others. Unfortunately, that plan was short lived, as a squeal of joy came from his left, and before Yuya knew it, he was sprawled on the ground for the second time today, his neck wrung up in a tight hug.

"DARLING! I JUST KNEW I'D FIND YOU HERE! MY DIVINATION WAS RIGHT! IT'S BEEN TOO LONG, WHAT DO YOU SAY WE—"

"Mieru, please stop," Yuya didn't have the energy to push her away, not that his counterparts were helping with all their snickering.

" _My, my, is this your special someone, Yuya?"_ Yuri remarked teasingly. " _You might as well kiss the bride at this point!"_

" _Man, and people said I was bad for my overly affectionate hugs,"_ Yugo said with a chuckle.

" _Is this a normal occurrence? I was there for it a few times but…"_ Yuto bit his lip, struggling to hold back his own laughter.

" _Unfortunately, yes. Speak for yourselves guys, I'm the one seeing double right now. She just won't let… go!"_ Yuya groaned in frustration.

Finally, the girl relinquished her grip on Yuya after a few more seconds, the incident being caught on plenty of cell phones with them being out in the open. Yuya groaned, reminding himself to delete every copy of that video in all the dimensions before Yuzu and the others were revived, for his own sake. As he struggled back to his feet, Mieru was still latched onto him, and Yuya swore she gasped in awe when he used his hand to push her away gently. Unfortunately, this did little to deter the fortune telling prodigy, who was still raving about Yuya.

"Now, I know this isn't very practical, considering you can control and create your own destiny, but why don't we see where the future takes us, darling?" Mieru asked with a dreamy look on her face as she pulled out her trademark crystal apple. Peering at Yuya's face through the lens, she gasped in shock at what she saw, her lip quivering in fear before she fainted altogether.

" _Well, we got of rid of her easier than I expected,"_ Yuri commented. " _Shall we get going then?"_

" _Yuri, I can't just leave her here, especially not out in public,"_ Yuya argued, appalled by his counterpart's nonchalance. " _Besides, I have a pretty good idea on what just freaked her out and it could help our case."_

Cautiously, Yuya leaned down and hoisted the girl on his back, drawing the attention of passersby on the sidewalk. His counterparts were certainly enjoying the spectacle, and Yuya knew they wouldn't let him live this one down for a while. He had no idea how he would defuse the rumors that were bound to surface because of this, but that was hardly his concern in the moment.

" _While we're on the topic, just what exactly freaked her out so much?"_ Yugo inquired.

" _It was you guys,"_ Yuya's response was definitive, leaving no room for doubt.

" _Us? That's certainly a surprise, guess we aren't total ghosts then,"_ Yuri added.

" _How… how can she tell?"_ The Speedroid user wondered.

" _Let's just say that apple of hers isn't just a prop to look good,"_ Yuya said simply.

" _Back when I was first merged with Yuya, Mieru detected my presence within him along with Zarc's using that apple. I think it's pretty safe to say her fortune telling has some merit to it,"_ Yuto elaborated further, filling in the blanks.

The four of them were silent for a moment while thinking over the situation, that is, until Yugo asked where he could buy one of those crystal apples. His question was met by a trio of glares and a ' _Yugo, I swear you're going to be our undoing one day_ ' comment made by Yuri. Yuya was sure a fight would've broken out then and there had Mieru not regained consciousness in that moment. Yuya felt the girl stir on his back, her curly hair jolting up and down.

"Ugh… what happened? My brain feels all bamboozled… Darling?!" the girl exclaimed once she realized the position she was in, a blush spreading on her face.

 _I think you can let the lady down now,_ Yuri said with a devilish grin on his face.

Yuya did so, explaining to her what had just transpired. Mieru's embarrassment grew upon the realization she had fainted in public, but at the same time, she wished she had been more discreet upon waking up so that she could've savored the experience of being carried by her long-time crush.

"So, uh, what did you see that caused you to black out like that?" Yuya asked, pretending as though he hadn't already deduced it himself.

"I thought it was just my imagination at first… but I saw three other souls residing inside you. But it seems that darkness I sensed last time has been extricated," Mieru was still trying to comprehend this new information, searching for some rational explanation as she spoke again. "How can you survive like this, darling? Can you sense their presence trying to suppress you for control of your body?"

" _That girl has way too little faith in us! Come on, forcibly taking over Yuya's body? Does she really think that after seeing us for 2 seconds that we would do such a thing?"_ Yugo shouted, hoping that by projecting his voice loud enough, maybe Mieru could hear him. Beside him, Yuto let out an audible cough, the topic a sore spot for him.

Yuri picked up on his discomfort right away, " _You've done it before, haven't you?"_

" _Only twice,"_ the Phantom Knights user replied with a sigh.

" _Only twice? That's…"_ Yugo couldn't find the proper words to berate his Xyz counterpart.

" _I was pissed off, okay? Yuya was fighting Edo Phoenix the first time and was at risk of being carded had I not stepped in."_

" _You did only manage a tie in the_ end," Yuya pointed out.

" _Only because he had some stupid convenient card in his hand that had the exact effect he needed to avoid losing! And the second time was fighting Ruri with the parasite in her head and Yuya was in need of some serious emotional support,"_ Yuto argued.

" _Hmm, I had no idea you were so, what's the word? Possessive perhaps,_ Yuto?" Yuri put in, boasting a sly grin. " _Not that I blame you too much, I'm sure you were just doing what you had to in order to survive."_

"Darling?" Mieru gave Yuya a cautious look, having just saw him zone out. "Don't let those souls consume you, fight!"

Her words snapped him back to the real world. "I'm-I'm fine Mieru, the souls—no, the people inside me, we're living together as one, in peace."

"Y-you mean you knew about the others residing inside you this whole time? How long have you been living like that?" Mieru was in shock at seeing Yuya dismiss her revelation as old news while also appearing to be at peace with it. The dueltainer truly was unpredictable.

"Well actually, I just found out a few hours ago. But trust me, the people within me," Yuya then put a hand to his heart, "they won't be forgotten. They've touched the lives of so many others around them. I'm going to carry on their memory through me and remind everyone that they aren't truly gone."

Mieru's eyes scanned the area furtively; the two of them were alone. "No one else knows about this, right?" she asked, lowering her voice to a whisper.

Yuya shook his head, "You're the first one."

"Okay, okay then…" the girl took deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself, "Is this going to be our little secret, or…"

Yuya was conflicted on what to do now that they had someone else to verify the existence of the other three boys; while he would've loved to open everyone's eyes to the fact, there wasn't even a trace of their existence remaining in all the dimensions. Even if people didn't just dismiss Mieru's crystal apple as a symbolic token that had no real merit, there would be no one to care about them being stuck in Yuya's body unless he could jog people's memories.

"Let's just keep this between us for now, Mieru," Yuya decided to play it safe until he had more definitive proof, "I don't want to freak everyone out like I did to you."

As expected, she had no qualms about this, and enthusiastically replied, "Sure thing, sweetie pie! You can always trust Mieru Houchun when it comes to these things!" She began to scurry away, though not before passing on a dreamy smile to Yuya and some more good fortune. "Good luck with your duel tomor—wait… isn't your duel today?"

Yuya had to stop himself from groaning in disappointment, but Mieru had already put it together before he even had the chance. "It is today! The arena, that's where you're headed, right? Since we already went this far together, I'll walk with you the rest of the way!"

He stifled a sigh this time as Mieru rejoined him at his side, gushing about how she's sure his dueling talents reached "a new quota" when traversing the dimensions, asking when she could meet his parents, while also not so subtly proclaiming her love for him every now and then. With her near constant chatter and his counterparts' never-ending teasing, Yuya was sure he'd have a major headache by the time he got to the arena, that is, assuming he'd even make it there without losing his mind.

This was going to be a _long_ walk.

* * *

 **This chapter was pretty plot based and just setting things up for later chapters at the moment. Reira is indeed a toddler, but hey, I gave a pretty reasonable explanation for it, I think. So Reiji now thinks Yuya's deluded, poor tomato boy just learned his lesson about trying to convince others about the counterparts. But hey, now he has another believer in Mieru (aka best girl in the anime, don't at me), so that's pretty cool. Yuya's also got some celebrity status now, something I wish the anime touched on a bit considering all the stuff he did for the dimensions.**

 **So just to reiterate, it's everyone's memories that are altered, not the timeline itself. Yuya's not in any sort of alternate reality, it's just that all the memories of the Bracelet Girls and Yu-boys have been erased and promptly filled in with fake ones, like how Reiji recalls Ray's life force being distributed throughout the dimensions instead of reincarnated into four.**

 **Next chapter, we'll be getting into the actual duels, and it will be an actual tournament setting for the conclusion of the championships, not a Battle Royal like the anime did, just to let you all know ahead of time. The duel featured will probably catch you guys off guard, but just know the only reason it's happening is because of everyone's perceived memory of the canon tournament back in Season 1 being altered. You can probably put two and two together from there, but if not, next chapter's coming out soon.**

 **And now to address the reviews from last chapter since every Fanfic writer seems to do this nowadays: (plus I gotta increase my word count** _ **somehow**_ **¯\\_(ツ)_/¯)**

 **Green Phantom Queen: Thanks for the compliment! I too have been reading plenty of fix it fics and was actually thinking of writing one from all the way back to Season 2 canon, but the amount of work I'd have to put in deterred me in the end. It definitely annoyed me how little Yuya and the others remembered initially and how we had to spend episodes of them floundering around while Reiji (because he's… Reiji?) remembered everything right away. Yuri's redemption is kind of a tricky thing to address, he'll be compliant because he has no other choice of course, but the main issue is ensuring his heart is truly committed to what Yuya and the other counterparts want to accomplish.**

 **Villain Princess: Thank you! Haven't heard that about my writing in a while!**

 **nightshroud96: Wow, you expanded a lot on how the dragons were shafted in the anime. Honestly, I found Yuya's egao philosophy along with the rage of the dragons for humanity encouraging their destructiveness to be a treacherous precipice in the anime. It was a difficult thing to balance, and towards the end, it was clear the writers missed a few steps in having the dragons accept it with their own heart, not just Yuya using them when he's ready. I'm of the opinion that being with him the longest, Yuya's dueling reminded Odd-Eyes of how Zarc used to be before he got corrupted, and caused at least some change of heart, if not completely. As for Dark Rebellion, he's been with Yuya less, but hey, you can't tell me that dragon is inherently evil/seeking vengeance when it grins like a damn idiot inside a colourful rocket ship (see Episode 108). At the end of the day, it was Zarc who ultimately caved in at the end, though he did grant humanity their wish… but everyone's at fault for that outcome. It's a shame we got little closure for the dragons in the anime.**

 **Regarding your other point, I'm not too sure all the dragons necessarily wanted to be reunited the second time, despite all evidence pointing to the contrary. Sure, the first time it was of their master's own will, but the second time, they had formed bonds of their own with Zarc's fragments (though you could suggest they shared no lingering emotional attachment but I disagree). As for Yuya deliberately destroying Odd-Eyes at the end with Smile Universe, that was pretty messed up, but it was Zarc's corrupted Odd-Eyes in his defense lol.**

 **Raging Dragon was an interesting concept for sure in the anime, but I think the writers made the right decision in deferring back to Rebellion Dragon after Zarc was dispersed from Yuya. It may have resonated with how the dragons felt towards humanity, but at the same time, the duelist who wields the cards has to be of a similar mindset.**

 **hlglh: Yeah, Arc-V gets a lot of hate nowadays, don't get me wrong some of it was warranted, but it had so many things going for it for the first two seasons, even if it dragged on. It really wasn't outlandishly bad or rushed until late in the Xyz Dimension with Kaito and Edo's sudden change of heart, followed by the mess that was the Fusion Dimension arc, yeesh. Unfortunately, people tend to remember the negative things, especially when the series fell so hard at the end, but ah well. I just imagine a better canon Season 3 to go with the first two seasons and smile. :) Appreciate the comment, thanks!**

 **Be sure to review, rate, follow, fav, and whatever other cool features this site has if you're enjoying the story so far! Always appreciate any kind of support I get, I'm just a guy trying to write for the hell of it. I'll attempt to update this story about once a week or so, though schooling will likely conflict with that schedule later on. So next chapter ought be out by about next Friday, Sunday at the latest. Standard/Pendulum Dimension will be getting a lot of focus next couple of chapters, just as some further closure, development, and appearances for characters who were written off in the anime.**

 **That's about all I can reveal for now in terms of story, until next time,**

 **-BasketballIsFun**


	3. The Duel That Never Came To Be

**Many thanks to neostardustdragon101, Frost190, Ghostkid33, and Green Phantom Queen for reviewing! Anyway, on with the show now, I don't own Arc-V or the characters in any way, in case anyone's forgotten from me not saying that last chapter.**

* * *

Having given Mieru further clarification on the way to the dueling arena regarding his "situation" with the other souls inhabiting his body, Yuya was just about ready to call it a day had it not been for the tournament. The girl was still prattling on about him, saying that it was great that he was now whole in a sense, before inquiring about whether she could speak to one of his alter egos.

Finally, the journey to the arena had ended, and Yuya quickly dispatched of Mieru, giving her the slip in the sea of people gathered in the area. Hustling inside, he ran over to the tunnel where the remaining duelists still technically in the tournament were gathered. Naturally, everyone made note of his rather late arrival.

"Yuya! I, the man Gongenzaka, was worried sick about ya! Where the heck have ya been?" the steadfast duelist asked.

"Just getting my ear talked off by Mieru," Yuya replied with a groan. "I think I have a migraine now."

Sawatari piped up at the mention of the girl. "Oh, really? You know, Yuya, the fact that you haven't outright rejected her yet is telling. Quite frankly, you may as well just get with her instead of trying to deny the affection, it's not like you have a special someone out there anyway."

Inside Yuya's mind, Yuri audibly sighed as he voiced his opinion, " _I already don't like this guy."_

" _You just seem to hate people in general,"_ Yugo replied with a bit of an edge to his voice. " _He seemed pretty cool when I dueled him. Besides, it's not his fault he doesn't know Yuya already has that special someone!"_

" _Yeah, I guess you're right,"_ Yuya didn't even try to deny it, they were a part of him after all. A sad smile crept up his face as he thought about Yuzu.

" _D-did you just admit what I think you did, Yuya?"_ Yuto questioned, wondering why this confession had come up now of all times.

" _Guess I just did,"_ Yuya said, giving the three a shrug only they could see before closing them off to re-immerse himself in the real world's conversation.

"… not everyone's a lady's man like you, Sawatari. Let Yuya decide that for himself," Kurosaki was saying.

Sawatari held his hands up in innocence. "All I'm saying is that if Yuya wanted to make things easier, he would've let the poor girl down right away. Now he's stuck with her being hopelessly lovestruck and he can't do a thing to get her to back off now."

"If you're finished discussing pointless romantics…" a new voice chimed in to reprimand the LDS boy, Yuya's face twisting into an expression of surprise as he saw who it was.

"Masumi? Why are you here?" Yuya exclaimed, startled by the sight of the Leo Institute Fusion duelist. How could she still be in the tournament?

"I was one of the duelists left standing for the Lancers selection, but I didn't make the cut, remember?" she replied curtly.

"Hmm, really Yuya, it seems like you're forgetting everything today. Zarc must've done a number on you," Sawatari casually commented.

 _How did she even get into the Battle Royal?_ Yuya wondered. _She lost to Yuzu in the first… oh right. Since their memories were altered so that they don't remember anything about her, Masumi and everyone else must remember her winning her way through the tournament to get here, since there was no Yuzu._

"Speaking of other duelists, I could've sworn Mieru was—"

Masumi was promptly cut off by a high-pitched squeal Yuya was all too familiar with by now. "DARLING! It turns out they let me into the tournament because they didn't have enough competitors. Oh, sweetie pie, this is going to be amazing! My duelmate and I can finally have our long-awaited rematch!"

Mieru leapt for him again, though this time Yuya subtly stepped to his right, causing her target to be Sawatari, who immediately disentangled himself from the fortune teller. He then gave Yuya a pointed look as if to say, "You see, just like that."

"Speaking of rematches…" everyone turned to see Hokuto, the other esteemed duelist belonging to LID of the Xyz variety leaning on the wall smugly. "Yuya and I have a score to settle as well."

 _Hokuto was never carded by Serena before his match, at least in their memories. So he must've gotten through as well,_ Yuya quickly deduced.

" _You really are a celebrity now, Yuya,"_ Yuto stated plainly.

" _I don't mean to be a broken record, but seriously, this will get irritating,'"_ Yuri added, displeased by this development.

" _Could you quit complaining already?"_ Yugo chided, beginning to wonder how long it'd be until he snapped.

"If you are all done with your pre-match banter," Tsukikage stepped out from a shadowed area of the tunnel, "Reiji has asked me to take everyone out for the reopening ceremonies."

No one objected to this, everyone walking into the stadium single file. As Yuya glanced up to the crowd, he met Reiji's eyes again, the esteemed President scrutinizing him, probably out of concern for his mental state. He dropped his gaze in time to hear the familiar energetic voice of Nico Smiley.

"Oh boy! Here come the esteemed duelists now, ready to at last to conclude this thrilling Junior Arc League Championship! Naturally, the Leo Institute of Dueling boasts the most competitors remaining, with studs like Hokuto Shijima, Shingo Sawatari, and of course, Masumi Kotsu! Meanwhile, from the Gongenzaka dojo, we have the steadfast Noboru Gongenzaka himself, one of the key Lancers in resolving the interdimensional war!" Nico was pure excitement; the man had been waiting for this moment a long time.

"Hey!" Sawatari cried out, offended at not getting a shoutout.

"Another Lancer on top of that, Tsukikage, the ninja slipping around in the shadows! And furthermore, we have Mieru Houchun from the Fortune Prep School, who in an unorthodox matter, found herself amongst the top 8 remaining. Be careful folks, or she just might read your every move! And now, I'll leave some of the more familiar faces to my co-commentator, Melissa Claire of the Synchro Dimension!"

Yuya's head shot up at the mention of the Friendship Cup's commentator, and sure enough, he spotted the same cowboy hat and getup. "Well, howdy! This dimension sure is home to a lot of great duelists! But the next one is someone's who grown on us all over time, he soars above everyone with his monsters, Shun Kurosaki from the Xyz Dimension!"

"And of course, the one duelist y'all really came to see, give it up for the spectacular dueltaining Yuya Sakaki! His dueling goes beyond the battle, Yuya's just all about making a difference! He even managed to bring the fair city of Neo Domino together after his duel with our now former Duel King, Jack Atlas!" Melissa concluded with a big grin.

"Now that the introductions are over, we're not going to be wasting any more time! Duelists, we've already uploaded your quarterfinal matchups into your duel disks, go ahead and see who you're matched up with just moments before we announce it ourselves!" Nico informed the competitors.

Yuya clicked a tab on his duel disk's screen to discover he would be matched up against Masumi first round, the duel that was to be the decider for the You Show school before Reiji stepped in. Fighting to keep the school... it felt like ancient history by now.

"And ladies and gentlemen, our first duel of the day will be featuring Yuya Sakaki of the You Show Duel School and Masumi Kotsu of the Leo Institute! The other competitors, please make your way to the stands as we get ready for this thrilling opening showdown!" Nico exclaimed.

"Good luck pal, she won't be easy to beat," Gongenzaka told him, clapping an enormous hand that dwarfed Yuya's shoulder.

"Thanks, Gongenzaka," Yuya responded with a smile before the man retreated to the crowd.

He then closed his eyes, knowing that this duel would be the first step in pacifying Zarc and helping Yuzu revive. He had to make every move count and put on a show like no other.

 _I can do this,_ the boy repeated to himself, almost like a mantra.

" _Hey, don't forget, we're here to help too, Yuya,"_ Yugo reminded him.

" _We're with you all the way,"_ Yuto added.

" _Just don't embarrass us please,"_ Yuri requested, before thinking better of it. " _Not that you will, considering that you managed to beat me. And with all of us…"_

He smiled inwardly at his counterparts. " _Yuto, Yugo, Yuri, you're right. This is our battle now, and we're gonna do it together. For us, Yuzu, Ruri, Rin, Serena, and everyone_ _watching to remind people there's more than just a duel at stake here,"_ Yuya said resolutely, glancing at his Extra Deck where three of the Dimensional Dragons resided. " _It's also about helping them make peace and so that Zarc and Ray can finally move on."_

"It looks like our opening competitors are rarin' to go! It's time to pick a randomized Action Field, just what will it be today?" Nico was riled up as he pressed the button for the selection to begin. "Oh my, it looks like we have a classic today folks, the Action Field: **Plain Plain**!"

Yuya let out a gasp as the ARC system began to generate the field, remembering instantly how this was the field he had dueled Yuzu on right after he had gotten his Pendulum cards. It was an ordinary meadow with a narrow river and bridge, decorated with trees and a soothing wind blowing in the air. Yuya was mesmerized by the field, so much so that he failed to notice a faint glow coming from his deck as he began the usual Action Duel chant.

 **[ACTION FIELD: PLAIN PLAIN]**

"Duelists locked into battle!" Masumi began.

"Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" Yuya exclaimed, although he was missing a bit of his usual enthusiasm, still distracted by the field.

"They storm through this field! Behold!"

"This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling! Time to Action…"

"DUEL!" Both of them finished.

"Here we go, everyone! Duelists, draw your first five cards and begin whenever you're ready!" Nico instructed. They both did, Yuya receiving yet another shock as he saw the cards. _These are…_

" _I thought I'd give you a bit of help, consider it my token of appreciation. It's my hope that these cards will aid you in getting others to remember,"_ a familiar angelic-like voice called to him.

" _Ray? You did this?"_ Yuya questioned.

" _I did, and with these cards at your side, it may just give you the edge you need. Use them Yuya, use them like how only you can,"_ she continued.

" _You don't have to tell me twice, I won't let you or Yuzu down!"_

" _Thank you, Yuya,"_ At those words, Ray's spirit vanished from his sight.

Having noticed Yuya's hesitation, Masumi promptly took the first move.

 **Turn 1**

 **Masumi: 4000 LP, Hand: 5**

 **Yuya: 4000 LP, Hand: 5**

"Yuya, we never did get around to dueling before, so consider this our first and final showdown!" she shouted.

" _Oh please, does she really think we're treating this like it's our most important duel ever?"_ Yuri remarked, letting out a slight chuckle of amusement.

" _Yuri, would it kill you to stow away the commentary for a bit?"_ Yuto phrased the question about as nicely as he could.

" _Maybe,"_ was his response with a shrug as per usual, though the boy did end up piping down to let Yuya focus on the duel.

"It's my turn, and first I'll activate Gem-Knight Fusion, to Fusion Summon using Gem-Knight Lapis and Gem-Knight Lazuli in my hand! I'll forge a new Gem-Knight that's a cut above the competition! I Fusion Summon, Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli!" Masumi began with her usual Fusion Summon technique, though Yuya had never seen this particular monster before.

 **Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli: Lvl 5, 2400 ATK, 1000 DEF, Rock, Fusion, Effect, EARTH**

"Ugh, guess she's sticking to her same old fusions as usual," Sora commented from the crowd, yawning at the opening move.

"Furthermore, since Gem-Knight Lazuli was sent to the graveyard by a card effect, I can add one Gem-Knight normal monster from my graveyard to my hand. I'm picking Gem-Knight Lapis! And by banishing Lazuli from my graveyard, I can also bring back Gem-Knight Fusion!"

 **Masumi's hand: 4**

"So, is this what you guys meant when you say I'm playing by myself with my deck?" Yaiba asked Hokuto.

"Well, yeah," Hokuto said with a shrug. "Though to be honest, Masumi hasn't done much to give you a run for your money yet."

"I'm activating Gem-Knight Fusion to fuse my Gem-Knight Tourmaline and Gem-Knight Lapis from my hand! And now, come forth and shine brighter than ever, Gem-Knight Topaz!"

 **Gem-Knight Topaz: Lvl 6, 1800 ATK, 1800 DEF, Rock, Fusion, Effect, EARTH**

 _"Interesting, so this is the Standard Dimension's capabilities with Fusion Summoning. Not bad, but nowhere near Duel Academy's teachings,"_ Yuri remarked, unimpressed with the display.

On the contrary, Melissa Claire was ecstatic by Masumi's plays. "Unbelievable, two Fusion summons in one turn? Golly, Masumi sure is on her A game, and she better be if she wants to take down Yuya!" she exclaimed.

"Now I activate Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli's special ability! Once per turn, by banishing another Lapis Lazuli from my Extra Deck, you lose life points equal to half of my Lapis Lazuli's current attack points, plus an extra 100 points for every monster on the field summoned from the Extra Deck!" Masumi declared, a sparkling blast of crystalline slamming into Yuya, depleting his life points significantly.

 **Yuya: 4000 – (2400/2 + 200) = 2600 LP**

"That's enough for now. I end my turn with a facedown," Masumi concluded.

"That was spectacular! Masumi Kotsu just eliminated a good chunk of Yuya's life points on her very first turn and brought out two Fusion monsters in the process! But I must say, he doesn't seem deterred at all. What could Yuya possibly have up his sleeve?" Nico wondered.

Masumi met Yuya's eyes with a steely look; a classic intimidation tactic. "I know that nothing I've done was a surprise to you. You've seen my duels, and while my opening move may seem similar to you, I promise I have more in store later. So bring it on, Yuya, show me just how you've grown as a duelist, how you saved our dimensions from destruction!"

" _Well, she's certainly asking for it_ ," Yuri stated plainly, though this time no one disputed his statement.

" _What do you say, Yuya? Should we show her what we've got?"_ Yugo asked eagerly.

" _You guys already know what I'm going to say. I'm always ready because…"_

"It's showtime!" Yuya declared with a smile as he drew his card.

 **Turn 2**

 **Masumi: 4000 LP, Hand: 0**

 **Yuya: 2600 LP, Hand: 6**

"First up, I activate the spell 1st Movement Solo! When I have no monsters on the field, I can special summon a Level 4 or below Melodious monster from my hand!"

"Huh? Those aren't Yuya's usual cards!" Melissa exclaimed.

"Interesting, so he's using a Melodious archetype this duel," Nico said while stroking his chin, excited to see how Yuya would play this hand.

"When did Big Bro Yuya get that kind of deck, Principal?" Ayu asked quietly.

 _Yuya, you never cease to amaze me. First, you say you're able to create new cards out of nowhere, and now you're pulling out a brand-new archetype for a championship duel! You certainly know how to keep the crowd on its toes at least,_ Shuzo thought to himself.

"I don't know, Ayu. Yuya is full of surprises nowadays. Let's just hope he knows how to play these cards," he responded.

A good amount of people in the crowd were also flabbergasted by the move, unaccustomed to Yuya playing anything but his usual Performapals. Reiji watched on impassively, his face unreadable.

Meanwhile, Masumi was fuming. "Are you going easy on me? Why aren't you dueling me with your Performapals? If you underestimate me, it will be your undoing!"

" _Looks like we've hit a nerve,"_ Yugo observed.

"Settle down Masumi, after all, the fun part hasn't even started yet! With 1st Movement Solo, I summon Serenade the Melodious Diva! And when this lady takes to the field when special summoned, I can make an additional normal summon this turn!"

 **Serenade the Melodious Diva: Lvl 4, 400 ATK, 1900 DEF, Fairy, Effect, LIGHT**

"Next I'll summon Soprano the Melodious Songstress to join the party!" An elegant monster who had absurdly long red and blue hair while donning a blue dress with white to cover her lower half surfaced in a dazzling twinkle of light.

 **Soprano the Melodious Songstress: Lvl 4, 1400 ATK, 1400 DEF, Fairy, Effect, LIGHT**

Yuya then let out a gasp of surprise, having just had a vision of how he could win this duel. He saw just the faintest outline of a monster he now had all the necessities to summon. It was the perfect thing to get the crowd and maybe even Zarc pleased.

Looking at the field, he smiled sadly at the familiar monsters that he had been dueling against all his life, searching the crowd to see if they had any hint, _some_ form of recollection, of Yuzu and her true influence in the timeline. To his dismay, there was only confusion and dissent amongst the people more than anything else.

"Everyone, I know you may seem confused by my selection of monsters, but believe me, I'm playing them for a good reason," Yuya said reassuringly so that their enthusiasm wouldn't waver. "To pay tribute to a great duelist, someone I know you haven't all truly forgotten about. If you dig down deep, you'll know who I'm talking about in no time."

Reiji turned to his staff inside his viewing booth. "Run a full search query. Find out who is this esteemed duelist Yuya's referring to."

"Already done, sir," one of his team members replied. "Results are in. The Melodious archetype has never been used in any major dueling tournament before."

"As I expected…" the President said, narrowing his eyes at the dueltainer. "Yuya, even now, you remain an enigma to me at times…"

"Those monsters… they feel familiar somehow," Shuzo muttered to himself from his seat.

"I must say, you look like you've seen a ghost Shuzo," the principal looked up to see none other than Yoko Sakaki walking towards him, taking the empty seat to his left.

"I just… I don't know, it's like I've seen them in action before," the man scratched his head in confusion. "And those aren't the only new cards he has." Shuzo thought back to the incident this morning with Yuya and his Performapal Five Rainbow Magician.

"I don't seem to recall Yuya ever using an archetype like this," Yoko observed, an inquisitive look on her face. "I will admit, the cards certainly do ring a bell. Though like he said, he's paying tribute to a past duelist with them, nothing wrong with that."

"But why do it now, during a tournament duel that could decide whether he becomes a Pro or not?" Shuzo countered.

Yoko gave it some thought, thinking about her son and his dueling style. "He must be confident enough in those cards to use them in this kind of duel," she rationalized.

"When did he get the chance to practice with them? Ever since Yuya picked up a duel disk, it's been his Performapals since Day 1, and I seriously doubt he ditched his go to during the interdimensional war."

"That… I'm not sure about," the woman conceded. "Maybe they have a clue to that." She looked over to where Gongenzaka, Sawatari, and Kurosaki were sitting, awaiting their matches to come later.

Said people were in a discussion of their own. "Does Yuya just have these cards so he can make up for the lack of women in his life?" Sawatari wondered out loud, earning him a smack from Gongenzaka.

"Sawatari, what we should be focusing on is how Yuya even got those cards in the first place! We only came back two days ago, and Yoko said Yuya stayed at home all day yesterday," the steadfast duelist scolded.

"I haven't known him as long as you, but Yuya's always been full of surprises, that's nothing new," Kurosaki cut in before thinking about it some more. "But I'm sure no one saw this coming."

"Hey, here's an idea," Sawatari proposed. "Maybe he _knows_ he can beat Masumi no matter what deck he plays, so why not use the girly non-Pendulum archetype?"

"Yuya isn't the type of duelist who would disrespect his opponent that way," Kurosaki pointed out. "He doesn't always make the right moves to win, but it's not from a lack of trying. He must have genuine confidence in these cards' ability to win him this duel."

"Yuya…" Gongenzaka looked to his best friend with concern.

"My, oh my, folks! Yuya's got two Level 4 monsters out now, looks like he's setting things up for a grand Xyz Summoning!" Nico observed with excitement.

Meanwhile with the duel, Yuya had heard Nico's proclamation. "Ordinarily, I'd say you're right Nico, but I'm afraid I won't be Xyz Summoning for now."

" _Sorry Yuto, but maybe next time,"_ Yuya apologized.

" _Eh, no big deal. Besides, using Yuzu's cards like this is a nice gesture in itself,"_ the Xyz counterpart replied in acceptance.

"W-what? You're not?" the commentator was stunned.

"Nope, I'm just getting started in setting up my field! I can still make another normal summon this turn thanks to Serenade the Melodious Diva! I'll tribute Serenade to summon a whole new monster! The best part is, Serenade counts as two monsters when I tribute it, which is the perfect amount to summon forth the one and only dragon with wonderous, dichromatic eyes, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!" Yuya unveiled his ace monster.

 **Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon: Lvl 7, 2500 ATK, 2000 DEF, Dragon, PS: 4, Effect, DARK**

"Well, at least there's a familiar sight! Yuya's top monster, Odd-Eyes, has now entered the field! Let's see if Yuya has what it takes to pull this off!" A wave of anticipation hit Nico as he uttered those words, sensing that Yuya was about to do something big.

"It's quiz time, everybody! Who can tell me what Odd-Eyes's spectacular ability does? Anyone?" Yuya looked all around at the crowd, the answer automatic.

"It deals double the battle damage against Level 5 or higher monsters!" was more or less the answer everyone came up with.

"Good, I'm glad to see you all remember, but here's a twist: I won't be using it for now," Yuya said, much to everyone's shock. What did he mean by that?

"Because my dragon's gonna be taking a bit of a backseat thanks to Soprano the Melodious Songstress's ability! She lets me Fusion Summon without using a Fusion spell!"

"W-what?!" Masumi exclaimed. "You can do that?"

"You bet I can, Masumi! Now by fusing the raw strength of my dragon with the calming serenity of a graceful fairy, I can Fusion Summon a whole new monster! Empathetic dragon of great power and clarity, emerge and spread your wings to cast a divine light! Shine bright and bring forth a new peaceful era of tranquility! Descend, Level 8 Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon!" Yuya chanted, a glowing light appearing on his forehead as the dragon came onto the field.

 **Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon: Lvl 8, 3000 ATK, 2500 DEF, Dragon, Fusion, PS: 2, Effect, LIGHT**

The new dragon was almost purely light, more so than even Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon, and it sported a similar body figure to the original Odd-Eyes along with its mismatched eyes that stood out. There was a distinct yellow aura radiating from the monster as it let out a roar that left the crowd amazed.

"Yuya never had that monster before either, did he?" Shuzo was only asking as a formality, but Yoko confirmed his suspicions with a nod anyway. Elsewhere, Reiji was ordering his staff to run a full analysis of the monster and its energy readings before retreating back to his office to see the readings. There, he found Reira glowing in a yellow aura of her own, the dragon obviously resonating with her. So much so that she was even beginning to talk for the first time since she was reverted to her current state. The girl was promptly hooked up to a machine to monitor any further changes.

Yuya continued the duel, largely unaware of the buzz he had created by summoning his new monster. "Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon's ability activates! It lets me add LIGHT attributed monsters equal to the amount of monsters I used as Fusion material from my deck to my hand, as long as each of their levels is less than or equal to the lowest leveled monster I used to Fusion Summon. In other words, I can add two LIGHT attributed monsters to my hand if they're Level 4 or below in this case. So, let's see here…" Yuya scrolled through the options he had on his duel disk, and while scrolling through, he discovered he did in fact have a good portion of Yuzu's deck with him, excluding her Extra Deck monsters. He would make sure to use them later, but for now… "I'm adding Performapal Odd-Eyes Unicorn and its lovely counterpart Performapal Corn to my hand!"

 **Yuya's hand: 4**

"Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon's other ability activates! It can copy the abilities of one monster it used as Fusion material! I'll have it copy Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's ability!" Yuya announced.

"Next I'll set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 2 Performapal Sellshell Crab and Scale 8 Performapal Odd-Eyes Unicorn! It's time this duel swings my way!" The two monsters went up into their pillars of light, a 2 and 8 hanging under them as the giant pendulum swung. "Back and forth, to and fro, how this duel ends, we'll soon know! Welcome back, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! It's been a while, Performapal Partnaga! Jump to it, Performapal Corn!" Yuya summoned three monsters, all of them in attack mode.

 **Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon: Lvl 7, 2500 ATK, 2000 DEF, Dragon, PS: 4, Effect, DARK**

 **Performapal Partnaga: Lvl 5, 500 ATK, 2100 DEF, Reptile, PS: 3, Effect, EARTH**

 **Performapal Corn: Lvl 3, 600 ATK, 1000 DEF, Beast-Warrior, Effect, LIGHT**

"Well, that's more like how we're used to seeing Yuya duel!" Melissa said cheerfully.

Reira glanced up at the screen displaying the two dragons side by side, clapping her hands together and very nearly managing a smile. Her adoptive brother was stunned by the development, as Reira was showing more signs of life now than she had back when she was with the Lancers for a good majority of the journey through the Synchro Dimension.

Back on the field, Yuya continued his setup. "Now, Partnaga, showcase your special ability! By linking up with Performapal Corn, it can give one of my monsters an extra 300 attack points for every Performapal on the field. It's a bit of an awkward squeeze, but I'll let the results speak for themselves," The snake-like monster contorted its body around both Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon and Performapal Corn, giving the dragon more attack points.

 **Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon: 3000 + (300 x 2) = 3600 ATK**

"Alright, everything is set now! Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, get ready to attack Gem-Knight Topaz! Spiral Flame Strike!" Yuya's ace monster shot its classic red-hot flame from its mouth as Masumi frantically searched for an Action Card to save herself.

"I activate the Action Spell: Selection of Miracle!" she just managed to get to it in time, as Odd-Eyes's flames scorched Masumi's monster. "I can either choose to halve battle damage or protect my monster from destruction. Given that if you choose to attack Topaz again with your other dragon, it'll wipe out the rest of my life points, I choose to halve battle damage!"

" _Oh, Action Cards, they're the epitome of convenience in these duels,"_ Yuri stated drably.

" _Hey, it does require some skill to maneuver around and get them in the first place,"_ Yugo argued, recalling the riding duels in the Friendship Cup and its Action Cards. _'You just can't appreciate anything, can you?'_

" _Don't worry Yuri, I've got everything under control here, even with that setback,"_ Yuya reassured his counterparts. _'And Yugo, I'll be honest, I've saved myself with just the right Action Card more times than I can count at this point. Yuri does have a point when it comes to their convenience.'_

Shifting his focus back to the battle, Yuya continued his assault. "Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon can double that damage right back to normal since Topaz is Level 5 or higher! Reaction Force!" Yuya declared, Odd-Eyes increasing the intensity of its flame, scorching Gem-Knight Topaz as it was destroyed.

 **Masumi: 4000 – 700 = 3300 LP**

"And now, Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon, attack her Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli! Go, Graceful Flare Strike!" The other dragon shot a beam of white light that was actually even hotter than Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's usual attack, the flames feeling surreal, even for an Action Field.

"I activate my trap: Gem-Knight's Adversity!" Masumi activated her lone facedown. "Since I only have 1 Gem-Knight on my field, I can equip that Gem-Knight with half the attack points of one in my graveyard! I'm equipping half of Gem-Knight Tourmaline's attack points onto Lapis Lazuli! But don't worry, the other half is getting to put to good use as well, because it gets added onto my life points! In addition, my monster can no longer be destroyed this turn!"

 **Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli: 2400 + (1600/2) = 3200 ATK**

 **Masumi: 3300 + (1600/2) = 4100 LP**

"Well then, I'll have to turn up the heat by activating Performapal Odd-Eyes Unicorn's Pendulum Ability! When an Odd-Eyes monster battles, I can add a Performapal's attack points onto it until the end of the battle. So, I'll add Performapal Corn's attack points to Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon!"

 **Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon: 3600 + 600 = 4200 ATK**

"And don't forget, it's also using Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's ability to deal double the damage! Reaction Force!" Knowing he couldn't win this turn with the field the way it was now, Yuya hunted for an Action Card while skating on the roller boots he had gotten from Allen back in the Xyz Dimension. Masumi followed in similar fashion, the girl frowning slightly at the card before realizing how much it would benefit her later in the duel.

 _I'll save you for later,_ Yuya thought as he picked up his card. The perfect one to compliment his strategy to hold out until his next turn. On the field, Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon's flame became infused with Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's red one, the two beams mixing together in perfect harmony to damage Lapis Lazuli heavily, though it remained on the field thanks to Masumi's trap card.

 **Masumi: 4100 – (1000 x 2) = 2100 LP**

 **Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon: 4200 – 600 = 3600 ATK**

"Since I took over 2000 points of battle damage this turn, I can activate the Action Spell: Double Draw! It lets me draw 2 cards from my deck!" Masumi revealed the Action Card in her hand.

 **Masumi's hand: 2**

"Unbelievable, despite Yuya throwing everything he had Masumi's way, she still managed to hang on with her trap card! Yuya currently has one Action Card he hasn't used himself, just what could it be?" Nico wondered.

"It'll all be revealed in due time," Yuya said with a smile. "Now that the battle's over, I can switch Performapal Corn and Partnaga into defense mode using Corn's special ability since they both have less than 1000 attack points. And in turn, I can add one Odd-Eyes monster from my deck to my hand."

 **Performapal Corn: 600 ATK to 1000 DEF**

 **Performapal Partnaga: 500 ATK to 2100 DEF**

 **Yuya's hand: 2 (1 Action Card)**

 _"Huh_ , _so that's where you're going with this duel,"_ Yuri observed from the card he had selected, a part of him shocked that Yuya would go this far in appeasing Zarc.

" _Yuya… are you sure about this?"_ Yuto knew what was to come with the card he had selected.

" _Don't worry, Yuto. Everything's gonna turn out fine,"_ Yuya replied steadily. " _And using this monster here is only right, don't you think?"_

Yuto eventually relented, opting to trust Yuya's judgment, " _Alright, go ahead and win this then. I trust you."_

"With that, I end my turn," Yuya concluded as he brought himself back to reality, having exhausted his resources heavily that turn. "I gotta say, this is an awesome duel, Masumi. The two of us wowing the crowd with each move, trying to one up each other. I can see why you're the top of your class."

Masumi closed her eyes, a small smile appearing on her face. "I'll admit, it has been fun. However, I get the feeling I haven't really pushed you yet, that you haven't even revealed your best cards yet. What do you say about that?"

Everyone in the crowd leaned in closer to hear what Yuya had to say. "Well, a true dueltainer always has to make the best of the hand they've got. I can't just expect to summon my best monsters the first turn every duel, that'd be way too predictable. We can all grow as duelists by understanding the best way to utilize every card in our deck, no matter what the situation."

"Folks, I can't tell you just how true Yuya's words are. Every time I saw him duel in the Friendship Cup, he always had a new strategy, new monsters, and he was unpredictable, just like what we saw now!" Melissa put in.

"Yuya's got some powerful monsters on his field! How will Masumi be able to come back from this?" Nico yelled excitedly.

"You'll see!" Masumi shouted as she drew her card.

 **Turn 3**

 **Masumi: 2100 LP, Hand: 3**

 **Yuya: 2600 LP, Hand: 2 (1 Action Card)**

"First, I'll banish Gem-Knight Lapis from my graveyard to add Gem-Knight Fusion back to my hand," Masumi began.

 **Masumi's hand: 4**

"Now I can once again activate its effect and Fusion Summon using these three Gem-Knights in my hand: Gem-Knight Obsidian, Emerald, and Alexandrite! Brilliant diamond of dazzling radiance, through a whirlpool of light, merge and become one! I Fusion Summon, Gem-Knight Master Diamond!"

 **Gem-Knight Master Diamond: Lvl 9, 2900 ATK, 2500 DEF, Rock, Fusion, Effect, EARTH**

"She's done it again folks! Just when you think it's over, Masumi busts out another grand Fusion Summon!" Nico was riled up by the play.

 _That Action Card Yuya has can probably save his monster, I'll have to be careful when I attack. He'll want to preserve his two Odd-Eyes monsters for sure. I have to make sure I can get rid of them,_ Masumi thought to herself.

"I activate Gem-Knight Master Diamond's special ability! For each Gem-Knight in my graveyard, it gains an extra 100 attack points! Then I'll follow that up by activating its other ability: Since Gem-Knight Topaz is a Level 7 or below Fusion monster in my graveyard, by banishing it, Master Diamond gains its abilities and name!"

With Alexandrite, Obsidian, and Emerald now in Masumi's graveyard, Gem-Knight Master Diamond increased its attack points by 300.

 **Gem-Knight Master Diamond: 2900 + 300 = 3200 ATK**

"Gem-Knight Master Diamond, attack Yuya's Performapal Corn! Gleaming Sword Swipe!" The move surprised everyone who thought Masumi would attack one of Yuya's dragons, but she figured she would eliminate the non-Pendulum monster that couldn't return from Yuya's Extra Deck first. Master Diamond slashed its sword, destroying the girlish humanoid monster, though since it was in defense mode, Yuya took no damage. But Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon grew weaker due to a Performapal leaving the field.

 **Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon: 3600 – 300 = 3300 ATK**

"And since your Performapal got sent to the graveyard, Master Diamond deals you damage equal to your Performapal Corn's attack points! That's 600 points of damage, Yuya!" Master Diamond charged up a blast from its sword, Yuya blocking the burst of energy with his duel disk, grunting from the effort.

 **Yuya: 2600 – 600 = 2000 LP**

"Now, Gem-Knight Master Diamond can attack again thanks to Topaz's ability! Slash Yuya's Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon with another Gleaming Sword Swipe!" The two monsters were about to clash when Yuya made his move.

"Since you declared an attack on my Pendulum monster, I can summon Performapal Odd-Eyes Dissolver from my hand to take the hit in its place! Fortunately, Odd-Eyes Dissolver can't be destroyed once this turn in battle if it's summoned this way," Yuya explained, as Master Diamond shifted its target to the new monster and its dissolving stick shaped like an atom. Due to Partnaga's ability, Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon simultaneously grew stronger with another Performapal on the field.

 **Performapal Odd-Eyes Dissolver: Lvl 8, 2000 ATK, 2600 DEF, Spellcaster, PS: 4, Effect, DARK**

 **Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon: 3300 + 300 = 3600 ATK**

"I'll protect my life points now by activating the Action Spell: Battle Change! When one of your monsters attacks me, I can redirect the target to monsters of my choosing for each of them once. Like my Performapal Partnaga in this case!" Yuya finally revealed the Action Card he had saving until that moment, Master Diamond shifted its target to Performapal Partnaga, slashing through it easily. But once again, Yuya took no damage since it was in defense mode. However, since Partnaga was destroyed, Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon lost the attack points it gained from the monster's effect, returning them back to normal.

 **Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon: 3600 – 600 = 3000 ATK**

"Normally, when Master Diamond uses Gem-Knight Topaz's ability, I can deal you damage equal to your destroyed monster's attack points once it goes to the graveyard. But since Partnaga is a Pendulum monster, it got sent to your Extra Deck, so I can't deal you damage," Masumi realized.

"But that won't change much! I attack your Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon with—"

"When Odd-Eyes Dissolver is summoned, it forces you to complete a battle with it once!" Yuya interrupted.

"Then I attack Dissolver with Lady Lapis Lazuli then!"

Yuya immediately countered the move, having to use his last resort to survive. "I'm activating Performapal Sellshell Crab's Pendulum Ability! Since a Pendulum monster on my field was destroyed and sent to my Extra Deck, I can special summon the monster in my other Pendulum Zone onto the field! So come on out to the stage, Performapal Odd-Eyes Unicorn!" The unicorn leapt from the pillar of light to the ground, face up in defense mode, much to both their disappointment. Yuya wanted to keep his Pendulum Scale intact, while Masumi now had another monster she had to break through.

 **Performapal Odd-Eyes Unicorn: Lvl 1, 100 ATK, 100 DEF, Beast, PS: 8, Effect, LIGHT (Defense Mode)**

"And once Odd-Eyes Unicorn is successfully summoned, I can target a Performapal in my graveyard and have myself gain life points equal to its attack points! So I'm targeting Performapal Corn and regaining the 600 life points you just dealt me as damage!" Yuya continued, as a glowing light shrouded and rejuvenated him.

 **Yuya: 2000 + 600 = 2600 LP**

"And due to Battle Change's effect, I can force you to give my Odd-Eyes Unicorn the heave ho this time," he concluded, as Lady Lapis Lazuli shifted its target, the sparkling crystals destroying Odd-Eyes Unicorn who went to his Extra Deck.

"Grr, lucky move. But I can still whittle you down!" Masumi retorted. "I activate Gem-Knight Lady Lapis Lazuli's special ability to banish my last Lady Lapis Lazuli in my Extra Deck to deal you damage equal to half its current attack points and another 100 points for each monster summoned from the Extra Deck on the field! Odd-Eyes Harmonizing Dragon, Master Diamond, and Lady Lapis Lazuli are all Extra Deck monsters! That's 1900 points of damage coming your way!" Lady Lapis Lazuli fired a crystalline wave that was shadowed by another Lady Lapis Lazuli's spirit at Yuya, the boy struggling with the blow that wiped out most of his remaining life points.

 **Yuya: 2600 – (3200/2 + 300) = 700 LP**

"You may have managed to survive thanks to your Pendulum Abilities, but you broke your Pendulum Scale to do so. And since your Partnaga isn't on the field anymore, you have no way to make your monster more powerful than my Master Diamond or Lady Lapis Lazuli now! It's over, Yuya!" Masumi proclaimed.

"A bold declaration from Masumi, but she does raise a good point! She's got two powerful monsters on her field that exceed Yuya's monsters in attack points, and since Yuya was forced to break his own Pendulum Scale, he's unable to Pendulum Summon his Partnaga back to win this duel unless he draws another Pendulum monster here! Even if he can, Masumi still has more than enough life points to withstand any blow!" Nico broke down the situation.

"I gotta be honest here folks, Masumi's giving Yuya a real run for his money here! I think the last time he's been pushed this much was when he faced Jack Atlas himself! Can he still pull it out, especially with his huge disadvantage in life points?" Melissa asked in a dramatic fashion.

"Now you know not to underestimate me," Masumi narrowed her eyes at Yuya, who stared back with a confused look as she continued, "Playing two different archetypes in one deck, not going for Action Cards as much as you usually do, and I get the feeling you haven't even brought out your strongest monsters yet! You held back, and it's going to cost you this duel."

"I guess we'll just have to see about that," Yuya said, smiling the whole time.

"What?" she replied, confused by his optimism.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! My opponent Masumi Kotsu has been quite the challenge today for me and my monsters! But unfortunately, this premiere performance will be coming to a close soon. Before it does though, I'll be giving you all one last spectacular grand finale, someone you'll never forget! Since I broke my Pendulum Scale, I can't bring back the monsters in my Extra Deck at the moment, but that's okay because it lets me reveal a new act for this turn! After all, it's my job as a dueltainer to keep my dueling style fresh! It's way more fun that way! For me, the crowd, and everyone else who may be watching." _Like you, Ray. And Yuzu, I know you're helping me too. With your cards, I've been able to show everyone something brand new today._

" _Alright Yuri, it's time for you to shine,"_ Yuya told the Fusion user in their shared mindspace.

" _Finally, I was starting to get a little tired of this duel,"_ the Predaplant user feigning boredom.

" _Are you sure it's a good idea to unveil his dragon first?"_ Yuto questioned the idea again once the time had come to actually summon the Fusion dragon, still apprehensive of Yuri and his intentions.

" _I am,"_ Yuya was definitive in his answer, looking at the two counterparts pointedly. " _Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith to earn the trust of others, so consider this as me taking that leap with you, Yuri."_

" _Yeah, give him a chance, Yuto,"_ Yugo added brightly, Yuri giving him a stare of confusion, prompting him to elaborate, " _If we're going to be one person, we might as well drop our pettiness for now and prove it."_

The boy was touched by the words of his Synchro and Pendulum counterparts, and it showed with a rare display of emotion on his face. " _Why thank you, Yuya, Yugo,"_ he replied nonchalantly, trying to hide the pride he felt swell up. " _My dragon and I won't fail, but that was already a given."_

"It's my turn! I draw!" Yuya resumed the duel, his eyes widening at the card. It wasn't exactly what he needed, but it did check all the boxes required to finish this duel. He figured it was only appropriate that he'd have this card finish things out.

 **Turn 4**

 **Masumi: 2100 LP, Hand: 0**

 **Yuya: 700 LP, Hand: 1**

"I summon the Tuner monster, Tuning Magician!" Yuya said, the girly humanoid monster appearing on the field. She held up the peace sign to the audience, much to everyone's amusement.

 **Tuning Magician: Lvl 1, 0 ATK, 0 DEF, Spellcaster, Tuner, Effect, DARK**

"Tuner?" Masumi exclaimed.

"When Tuning Magician is successfully summoned, I lose 400 life points, while you gain the exact same amount," Yuya explained his monster's effect as Tuning Magician tapped her staff, emitting pleasant shock waves of energy to Masumi that simultaneously delivered ear piercing ones to Yuya.

 **Masumi: 2100 + 400 = 2500 LP**

 **Yuya: 700 – 400 = 300 LP**

"While Tuning Magician can tune my monsters to their full capability, it's not the only thing she can do," Yuya continued. "Thanks to Odd-Eyes Dissolver, I can also use her as material to Fusion Summon! It's only right that I win this duel with a Fusion Summon of my own!"

Everyone in the arena audibly gasped at what seemed like a questionable play. Using a Tuner for a Fusion Summon after taking that all that damage from its effect? It made no sense! However, all of Yuya's other moves had worked out just the way he wanted up to that point, so most people gave him the benefit of the doubt by now.

"I fuse Tuning Magician and Performapal Odd-Eyes Dissolver! And together they'll form the most toxic monster people have ever seen! Watch and behold as this behemoth takes to the battlefield and plants the roots to a new path, a new future! Introducing the vicious, voracious, and venomous Level 8 Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!" Yuya and Yuri had synchronized their voices only in the slightest as the summon was completed, the inflection in his chant going largely unnoticed by everyone else.

 **Starving Venom Fusion Dragon: Lvl 8, 2800 ATK, 2000 DEF, Dragon, Fusion, Effect, DARK**

With two of the Dimensional Dragons and an evolved form of one of them out on the field, they each began to roar loudly, the sound able to be heard from nearly everywhere in the city. In Reiji's office, Reira's light aura was beginning to darken at Starving Venom's presence.

Reiji looked at the sidebar displaying her vitals; increased heartbeat, lowered activity, and abnormal brain patterns. He glanced at Yuya through a camera feed. _So, you brought out another one of the dragons, after all, Yuya. True to your word as always. Let's see if your strategy pays off._

"I'll be! Yuya's got a trio of dragons out now!" Melissa shouted in amazement.

"Starving Venom… so after Zarc was defeated, it seems Yuya kept his dragons," Kurosaki observed.

"But why? Zarc was reborn as Yuya the first time Ray defeated him, and he only had Odd-Eyes initially, at least before the other dragons came to him," Sawatari countered.

"It looks like things are gonna be different this time around," Gongenzaka said, eyeing his best friend closely for any signs of the demon duelist.

"Starving Venom Fusion Dragon's special ability activates! Since I used monsters on my field to Fusion Summon it, Starving Venom can steal the attack points of all special summoned monsters my opponent controls! And that means your Master Diamond and Lapis Lazuli won't be able to stand up to it!" Yuya declared.

"Impossible!" Masumi exclaimed as Starving Venom shot out its roots to absorb Master Diamond and Lady Lapis Lazuli's attack points.

 **Starving Venom Fusion Dragon: 2800 + 3200 + 3200 = 9200 ATK**

"And now, Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, let's give Masumi a send off people here will never forget! Go, Toxic Roots Blast!" Yuya had his monster ready what he hoped would be the final attack.

Starving Venom began to power up, spreading its wings to create a concentrated blast of dark energy aimed directly at Masumi's Master Diamond. Oddly enough, when the Fusion dragon launched the blast, Yuya felt like it hadn't been nearly as powerful as it could've been. Maybe it was just because of the precautions built into the Action Field, but maybe it meant something.

Masumi looked at the Action Card she had rushed over to get. It was Bi-Attack, which could double Master Diamond's attack points… but it wouldn't save her, seeing as she'd still take 2800 points of damage.

Closing her eyes, she accepted her fate as the final attack overwhelmed her monster and eliminated the rest of her life points.

 **Masumi: 2500 – 6000 = 0 LP**

As the Action Field disappeared along with Yuya's monsters, Reiji got a diagnostic on Reira's behalf.

"Sir, we only detected a brief surge in heart rate once the second dragon appeared, otherwise no discernible signs of increased activity or Zarc being active. Ray appears to be repelling him well," the technician reported.

"I see… thank you, dismissed," Reiji pondered the meaning behind this, and why Reira had such a positive outburst with the two Odd-Eyes monsters, while Starving Venom seemed to dampen that. Was the solution to use the dragons and their evolved hybrid forms? Would bringing out the other dragons help in this case, or only worsen her already delicate situation? With 2 different dragons, Reira seemed okay, but with 3 or all 4… who knew what would happen? Reiji put his head in his hands, having no idea what to do for the first time in a long time.

There _were_ things he could do right now, however, but he'd need some help in doing so. Reaching for a duel disk he used solely for business, he settled down slightly, preparing to make a few phone calls.

"And we have a winner folks! This duel goes to Yuya Sakaki!" Nico Smiley exclaimed back at the arena. "Let's give it up to both duelists for pushing each other to the brink of defeat!"

Yuya walked over to shake Masumi's hand, the girl frustrated yet proud of her performance at the same time. As he helped her to her feet, she commented on the thing that was on almost everyone's mind.

"So, a Tuner, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah, I've had her in my deck for a while," Yuya pulled out Tuning Magician's card then, remembering when Sam had given it to him and how he had found a use for it after all.

"You can use all three summoning methods then, can you?" she pressed. "You just used Fusion and even Xyz in the past so…" Masumi eyed him curiously.

"I can," he replied with a nod. "But all that power, it doesn't mean anything if you misuse it. As I grow stronger as a duelist, I always try to remember why I duel, who I'm dueling for. I can't let myself forget who I am, especially in a time like this when people are counting on me."

"That's good to hear," she replied, before lowering her voice to hardly above a whisper. "Look, I know I don't have to say this to you, but since you beat me… you're not allowed to lose for the rest of the tournament. To _anyone._ "

Yuya just managed to contain his surprise at her words, as he remembered Masumi telling Yuzu practically the exact same thing back in the initial tournament before the interdimensional war started. He must not have concealed his shock entirely because the girl started to eye him strangely.

"You alright?" she gave him a wary look as if he might collapse any moment.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Yuya stuttered slightly with his words before finally regaining some composure. "You can count on me keeping that promise, I'm going all the way! For you, me, and everyone else watching!"

Yuya pointedly looked up to where Reiji had been sitting when he finished speaking, only to find an empty suite to his disappointment. Bidding farewell to Masumi, Yuya headed for the exit, managing a smile for the fans as he replayed the duel in his head. He felt like he did well, combining Yuzu's monster with his (though he would've liked to fuse their aces together, that would've been a _true_ sight to behold), using both Odd-Eyes monsters in unity, while making use of every card on his field, leading to the finisher of the duel in Starving Venom. But the main question still loomed at large: Did he do well enough to make any progress in pacifying the demon that was Zarc? And what had happened to Reira when he summoned the dragons?

Tuning out excited fans, Yuya headed through the tunnel and eventually made his way back outside the arena. Taking his leave for now, Yuya began heading for the one place he knew he would get some answers for the second time that day.

Meanwhile, his words and actions only left his friends and peers even more confused and worried. "My poor darling," Mieru looked on from her seat, sitting away from Yuya's other companions so that she wouldn't be tempted to reveal his secret.

"People counting on him? Right now?" Sawatari repeated Yuya's words in confusion.

"What's he talking about?" Kurosaki's face contorted as he went into thought.

"Beats me. Maybe he was talking about upholding his father's legacy of dueltaining or something," Sawatari rationalized, though he knew it was a long shot.

"No, there's something else going on with him," Gongenzaka deduced, having seen past the smile Yuya gave for the crowd as he left. "I got a feeling that the war hasn't truly ended for him yet."

"Maybe. But what could he be so worried about? We beat Leo Akaba, stopped his plan to unite the dimensions, and everyone came back, no casualties whatsoever for us," Sawatari argued.

"I don't know, but I, the man Gongenzaka, can't just sit here and let Yuya drown himself in misery," Gongenzaka said with conviction. "Kurosaki, Sawatari, we're gonna get some answers."

"And the next duel will commence right away, featuring Noboru Gongenzaka of the Gongenzaka Dojo and Tsukikage of the Fuma Duel School!" Nico announced.

"… After our duels are done for today," he finished, beginning to make his way to the duel field.

Shuzo, the You Show kids and Yoko were even more confused by Yuya's behavior, the latter with a look of concern on her face upon seeing her son leave the arena so abruptly. The principal, on the other hand, was still trying to determine what was up with his student. "Yuya… what aren't you telling us?"

The same question was on everyone else's mind, but they had a feeling they wouldn't be getting an answer for the time being, at least not a concrete one.

* * *

 **So that's the first duel, first one I've ever written, and boy was it a doozy. That process gave me a lot of respect for all the other Fanfic writers who script original duels in the community, it is a pain at times. I think I changed the cards used about 20 times.**

 **I used a mix of anime and TCG effects for the duel, apologies if it got confusing at times. If I recall correctly, Odd-Eyes Unicorn never really used its monster effect in the anime, so I just went with the preferable IRL effect.** **Even without its effect giving him enough LP to summon Tuning Magician,** **Yuya didn't have to use it to summon Starving Venom, I just thought it'd be a cool touch and callback (plus more dragons on the field that way). Anyway, I will mostly be using anime effects unless of course monsters used didn't appear in anime. Odd-Eyes Dissolver is the exception though, its anime effect is just hilariously broken.**

* * *

 **OC Cards I made up for convenience/plot this duel:**

 **Here's Odd Eyes Harmonizing Dragon's effects and whatnot:**

 **Lvl 8, 3000 ATK, 2500 DEF, Dragon, Fusion, PS: 2, LIGHT**

 **Material: 1 "Odd Eyes" monster + 1 LIGHT attributed monster**

 **Can copy the effects of one monster used to Fusion Summon. You can add LIGHT attributed monsters from your deck to your hand equal to the number of monsters used as Fusion material, as long as each of their levels is less than or equal to the lowest leveled monster used to Fusion Summon it. If this monster is destroyed by battle or card effects, you can place it in an open Pendulum Zone, otherwise it goes faceup to the Extra Deck. If another "Odd-Eyes" monster would be destroyed in battle, you can negate its destruction by placing this monster in an open Pendulum Zone.**

 **No destruction effects for obvious reasons. :P**

 **Gem-Knight's Adversity (Trap Card, Trigger):**

 **When you control only 1 "Gem-Knight" monster and it is being targeted for an attack, you can equip it with half the attack points of a "Gem-Knight" monster in your graveyard and regain life points equal to half of the equip monster's attack points as well. When this card is activated, the "Gem-Knight" monster on the field and its equip cannot be destroyed for the remainder of the turn through battle or card effects. If the equipped monster is destroyed, you must banish it instead of sending it to your graveyard.**

* * *

 **The championship resumes now, and there's been a lot of changes as a result of Yuzu's absence from everyone's minds, so much so that Yuya's opponent was Masumi. I opted to give some love to the LDS trio, who never really got their due diligence after the showdown with the You Show gang. Initially, I was going to make up some OC Pendulum cards for Masumi, but then I realized Gem-Knight Fusion lets her swarm the field already, so I didn't bother. I thought her Fusion monsters were already pretty adept, so I stuck with them.**

 **This chapter's pretty dang long already, so I'll just give one more shoutout to all the reviewers here instead of breaking down each review. I always enjoy hearing feedback, thanks guys! And you're more than welcome to review this chapter as well along with doing all that other cool stuff, if you're up for it, of course. Next update should be by next Friday the latest, though I may end up getting impatient and doing it sooner. We'll see.**

 **Thanks for reading, so long for now,**

 **-BasketballIsFun**


	4. Probing For Answers

**Much thanks to Green Phantom Queen and Unknowedz for reviewing last time around! Sorry this chapter came out late, I'm going through some school stuff right now that will likely hinder me for a bit. Anyway, here it is without further ado.**

* * *

Yuya promptly exited the arena, his next destination clear as day in his mind. As he traced his path back to the Leo Corporation, he took out the Dimensional Dragons from his deck, trying to see if he could understand or resonate with their feelings like Ray had been able to. He felt lighter at the touch of Odd-Eyes's card, Dark Rebellion was also familiar to his fingers, but it still felt strange holding the other two in his hands. All this power entrusted to him, it was…

" _It's all to starting to sink in, isn't it?"_ Yuto commented in their mindspace.

" _Yeah, until now, I was kind of just going with the flow,"_ Yuya replied. " _But now that I have time to reflect on it… it's terrifying to think about what we're up against here."_

" _Hey, don't get too down on yourself,"_ Yugo told him. " _I think we all did a pretty job last duel, the way you combined you and Yuzu's monsters was pretty cool, it was like a total contrast compared to the original Odd-Eyes. Plus, I think you did end up getting through to the crowd, well, at least a little bit by playing her cards."_

" _We? Oh come now, Yugo, it was my dragon along with Yuya's that did the work that duel,"_ Yuri said mockingly, a smirk that they all knew too well by now appearing on his face.

" _Come on! I was giving him credit for the way he dueled, and that's the part you decide to focus on?"_ The Speedroid user grew riled by Yuri's words for the umpteenth time that day.

" _Alright, alright, I was just kidding, you know,"_ Yuri replied with a chuckle, raising his hands in surrender.

" _Come on guys, we can't waste time arguing like this. I know this isn't an ideal situation for any of us, but we might as well make the best of it,"_ Yuya interjected before things got out of hand. _"Though in fairness, I'm surprised you've been going along with all this, Yuri."_

When the purple haired boy's head shot up, yet no response came, Yuya elaborated further, _"What I'm asking, if you don't mind, is why the sudden change in heart? I mean, even before Zarc was starting to influence us, you, uh, did some pretty nasty things. But right now, you've been compliant with everything we've been doing. Sure, you've been tossing some insults here and then, but that's nothing. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but…"_

Yuri remained silent for a little more, Yuto noticing his discomfort. Though none of them had been on good terms with the Fusion counterpart prior, and welcomed the drastic change as Yuya said, they were still just as curious to know what triggered it. _"Hey, Yuya's bring upfront with you here. We just want to understand better, all of us, especially now that we are one."_

That finally got him to relent a bit. _"Back at Duel Academy, I was isolated from the other students. I didn't have a Yuzu, Ruri, or Rin to care about me, nobody at all as a matter of fact. People were terrified of me because of the way I dueled, so I had nothing else to turn to but dueling to win. It was my life."_

Yuya tried to imagine being scrutinized and cast out as an outsider for his dueling style; he couldn't. Alone and with Leo Akaba on board who only encouraged his destructive traits in his endeavor to subjugate the dimensions, it wasn't hard to imagine how over time, Yuri could've fallen so far and become a Zarc of his own without him even needing to resurrect.

" _So dueling was your crutch, the only thing you could turn to,"_ Yuya said with an understanding nod, _"And once Leo Akaba came and started preparing for the war, you were told to be ruthless in battle and card your enemies at will …"_

Yuri sighed, trying to harbor away his ongoing guilt and sorrow for at least the time being. _"I'm that easy to read, huh?"_ His reply was entirely self deprecating. _"I reached the point of no return long ago, beyond hope. I suppose… it was fitting that it was you, Yuya, a direct contrast to me and Zarc's evil, who finally got me to at the very least, slightly open my eyes to the crimes I've committed. Losing for once and watching Zarc attempt to destroy everything, that was all I needed afterwards to confirm it. It seems like far too extreme a change, I know, and I don't expect you guys to ever fully forgive or accept me, but… that's basically what it adds up to in the end."_

" _Yuri, believe me, I—no, all of us—can understand what you went through. We were all under Zarc's influence and did horrible things even on our own accord, but that doesn't mean we can't move on and learn from our mistakes,"_ Yuya said in a reassuring manner.

" _Hmmph, mistakes. The things I did, only near the end was it by Zarc's will. Everything else, I did under my own conscience, for the fun of it all,"_ Yuri waved his hands in disgust and self loathing before thinking more about it. _"But… if you are truly willing to accept me and my sins… I'll do my best to fix this mess I caused. We are one, as you said."_

At that, Yuri closed himself off from his other counterparts to brood some more about his 'mistakes', things he could never take back. Despite Yuya's and his words at the end, he still questioned whether he would ever truly be redeemed in any capacity. Then again, if he was, it wouldn't really matter, given that he was still merged with Yuya and would remain that way unless by way of an extraordinary event. He could try to convey his reformation and changed mindset using Yuya as a conduit, but what would be the point if no one on the long list of people he had forsaken remembered he even existed? The best way to show his change, he supposed, was to prove it to himself first and then his counterparts. Helping Yuya and the others from within on their mission would at least be a start, should he remain a ghost until the end of time.

As for getting along with his counterparts… well, they all seemed fairly accepting of him from the get go, and teasing Yugo every day would be something to look forward to.

Meanwhile, the other counterparts were still engaged in a conversation regarding the topic.

" _You really do have faith that he can move past everything,"_ Yuto tried to keep his tone neutral regarding the touchy topic.

" _I do. I know he's done things that we maybe can't understand, but with all three of us working with him to get through it, we can help him there. I'd say we're the only ones capable of doing it because well, you know,"_ Yuya replied, gesturing with his arms, the meaning clear.

" _We are one and the same person,"_ Yugo finished, the phrase already wearing out its welcome. " _But I get what you're trying to say. I'm on board. I hate to say it, but he's actually not too insufferable while we're sharing a body. Once we get to know him better, maybe he'll be a little less annoying too."_

" _That's one way to look at it,"_ Yuto told the Synchro counterpart dryly.

" _Well, I did say only a little less,"_ was his immediate reply.

Yuya laughed. _"Glad to see we're all for this_ , _"_ he said as he approached the LDS building. " _Alright guys, it's time to—"_

" _You got this,"_ Yuto said encouragingly.

" _Give Reiji the talking to of his life,"_ Yugo added with a grin as the two slipped away into their own respective minds.

Slipping the dragons back into their respective places, Yuya strode into the building. This time, he had learned his lesson and headed straight for the elevator, not even bothering to go to the receptionist. Though, he was quickly stopped by two burly looking guards in suits.

"Mr. Sakaki, may we help you?" one of them—a man with a blond mullet—asked.

"Uh, yes actually, I'm here to see Reiji Akaba," Yuya replied, surprised by the greeting.

"Our apologies, but Mr. Akaba is terribly busy at the moment. He asked for us to escort you off the premises in the case of your arrival," Blond Mullet revealed. Yuya was dismayed to hear this; did Reiji truly believe he was deluded in some way from their prior conversation that morning?

"But—"

"He said to use force if necessary," the other guard informed him. Why did this suddenly feel like déjà vu?

"Alright, I understand," Yuya held his hands up in surrender, turning to leave the building. Before he did however, one of the guards clapped a hand on his shoulder in warning. Yuya looked up to see Blond Mullet paste a smirk on his face.

"Take of yourself, kid," the man told him, giving him a not so light shove towards the door.

Yugo was appalled by the treatment that he was all too familiar with. _"Gee, I didn't realize we were back in the Commons already."_

" _Must be a rough day for them,"_ Yuto frowned, trying to piece together why Reiji took such lengths to drive Yuya away.

Meanwhile, said person was in the command hub of the Leo Corporation, having just watched the entire scene unfold. Around him, dozens of technicians were looking at security feeds and monitoring duels across the dimensions as best they could.

"Are you sure they had to go through with the whole scare tactic?" Yusho Sakaki asked the president with a skeptical look.

"That part was completely by their own discretion. I simply told them to establish body contact in some form."

"I still don't see why you have to monitor my son this way," Yusho said with a frown.

"Because Yusho, I've noticed he's seemed… off since Zarc. Though Reira may have absorbed his evil, there could be lingering effects of it within Yuya. And with the Dimensional Dragons at his hand, it's best to keep an eye on him on the off chance he gets unhinged in some capacity."

"He simply has a lot on his mind. Reiji, the boy is 14 and just fought an interdimensional war where he discovered he originated from a demon. The most stressful thing he should be thinking about is going to high school at this point."

"That is true. In this case however, it's best we don't take our chances. After all, anything Yuya does with the dragons from here on," Reiji looked over to Reira, "could directly affect her."

"Yusho, I have no vendetta against your son. He's one of the more talented duelists I've ever seen and an even better person at heart," Reiji reaffirmed. "This is simply a precaution, in twenty-four hours, the bug will deactivate automatically once it detects no signs of Zarc in the form of irregular heartbeat, breathing, and speech pattern."

"I just—" the Pro entertainer duelist sighed before continuing. "Do you really think that Yuya would let whatever small fragment of Zarc that may hypothetically remain inside him take control? You saw for yourself just how much he fought against it until the end. That type of determination, it doesn't just fade away with his darkness."

"I know it doesn't," Reiji thought back to the final duel (or at least what he perceived it to be) where Yuya had finally succumbed to Zarc: The boy had fought Leo, his father, and was doing fine until he was forced to discard Smile World. Unable to intrude the duel thanks to a field spell, he told Yuya to focus only on winning, those words all but sealing their fate. He had won and shut down the reactor, saving an immeasurable amount of lives, but in turn, Zarc had acquired the strength needed to resurrect. They were forced to reactivate the reactor to bring back Ray and unite the dimensions soon afterwards. "But believe me when I say I have his and everyone else's best interests at heart here, Yusho. I wouldn't have informed you of my intentions had that not been the case."

The man eyed the young President for a while longer before conceding. "I suppose you're right, Reiji. Let's just observe and get this over with then."

Hardly even a few minutes after Yusho had left the conversation at that, a frantic beeping appeared on the giant monitor visible to everyone working to indicate something was happening with Yuya. His vitals were increasing steadily, without any signs of slowing down.

"Give me a visual!" Reiji demanded. "The bug we planted on him has a GPS tracker installed, find the optimal security camera in the city to see what's going on!"

"Working on it, sir!" one of the lead members of his tech support team replied. "Mr. Akaba, I'm afraid visuals within the general vicinity aren't available!"

"Get me a status report on all cameras in the area!"

"Yes, right away, sir," Several camera feeds popped up, all of them obscured by a bright light.

"They aren't disabled…" Reiji realized. "Something's causing this, could it be one of Yuya's dragons?"

Instinctively, he and Yusho turned to Reira, who only appeared just as stone faced as before.

"We've lost contact with the bug, sir," another person reported. "All systems are offline and we are unable to locate Yuya Sakaki or his dragons' energy signatures!"

"How is this possible?" Yusho asked, concerned for his son's safety. But before that could be answered, a whole new series of questions popped up as the cameras in the area restored their feeds.

The area where the boy had been was empty, without even a trace of Yuya ever being there. When initially checking the surrounding surveillance cameras, Yuya wasn't in the vicinity for a good ten acres. And with the great amount of manpower devoted to the cause, it didn't take long to confirm that Yuya was no longer _anywhere_ in Miami City.

* * *

 _Moments prior…_

Yuya had been wandering aimlessly after being turned away by Reiji's guards, eventually finding himself in the middle of Central Park. He almost chuckled, remembering how this was the place where he had learned of the other dimensions and the war. The day that changed his life forever, when he first became one with Yuto.

" _Man, I can't believe Reiji just sent me away like that,"_ Yuya lamented at how the tables had turned on him in hardly over half a day.

" _Granted, you must've sounded pretty crazy to him,"_ Yugo rationalized. _"Dropping that Yuzu bombshell on him definitely didn't help your case."_

" _Hmm, I honestly think Yuya made a compelling argument,"_ Yuri had resurfaced from his internal conflict, entering the conversation as if nothing had happened, which was probably the best turnout they could've hoped for in the grand scheme of things. _"It did make sense logically, if Zarc was reincarnated, why not Ray as well? Personally, I'm just glad you didn't try to convince him of our existence within you, Yuya. Reiji might've locked you away in a mental facility by now if you had even tried."_

" _Well, if the war taught me one thing, it's how to be at least a little tactful when it comes to those kinds of topics,"_ Yuya shivered inwardly as memories came back. _"Still, it would've gone better had I just kept quiet."_

" _You took a chance and it didn't work out that time, Yuya,"_ Yuto said, not faulting the main counterpart for trying. _"If we're going to help everyone remember them and us, we can't just play it safe all the time. You at least planted a seed in Reiji's head, maybe he'll come around soon."_

Yuya nodded his head sadly, lifted by his counterparts' words but still faced with the harsh reality of the situation. _"I guess that is something… Ray, she wasn't lying when she said this would be hard,"_ he replied with a sigh, his mind spiraling in a dozen different directions.

"I just wish… I could see you again, Yuzu. It's just not the same without your smile, you making me laugh, even your fan," he whispered aloud. Yuya felt his strong resolve begin to crumble, a lone tear streaming down his cheek as he stopped walking and closed his eyes in thought. "Why did Leo Akaba have to do this? It's like we're cursed now, you guys being trapped inside me forever, being the only ones who remember the girls and the way they impacted everyone's lives… it's not fair!"

" _Yuya, get a grip on yourself,"_ Yuto sternly told the boy. _"We'll get through this, but not through moping."_

" _Yeah, don't embarrass us in—"_ Yugo stopped short of finishing the reprimand, all four boys becoming aware of a distinct light coming from Yuya's duel disk. Before anyone could acknowledge the oddity of experiencing this for a second time that day, the white light consumed Yuya's body whole just like before, and in a flash, he was no longer in the quaint, peaceful park.

* * *

When the light finally dimmed down, Yuya glanced around at his new surroundings and was instantly clutching his head at all the internal yelling from his counterparts. They eventually settled down enough to the point where their thoughts were at least somewhat coherent.

" _This is…"_ Yuto trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

" _Duel Academy!"_ the statement was finished by Yugo.

" _Well then, seems like today's a day for surprises,"_ Yuri commented, amused by the turn of events.

" _Ugh, could you guys cool it down a bit?"_ Yuya requested, trying his best to hide the annoyance in his voice.

" _Sorry, it's just… how did we get here?"_ the Phantom Knights user asked, puzzled.

Yugo then had an "Aha!" look cross his face, _"It must've been Clear Wing who did this!"_

" _I'm sorry, what? You're saying your dragon brought us here?"_ Yuri deadpanned.

" _It's let me hop through dimensions before,"_ he replied convincingly with a nod. The counterpart then sheepishly looked away when he remembered the circumstances. _"Back when… I wanted to fight Yuto, our whole misunderstanding."_

" _Really? How did it work, could you control it?"_ Yuya inquired, not acknowledging the last tidbit to avoid any potential tension.

Yugo shook his head. _"I just wanted to beat the crap out of Yuri to bring Rin home, then next thing I know, Clear Wing glowed the exact same way it must've just now, and I was in the Xyz Dimension to fight Yuto. The next best thing, I guess."_

" _Oh, right… that fight. I was actually spectating it in the shadows, Clear Wing didn't really misguide you,"_ Yuri informed them.

" _You WERE?! Why I…"_ Yugo then remembered they were sharing a body and trying to help Yuri move on, promptly dropping the topic. _"Anyway, if that's the case, Clear Wing must've just granted my wish and let me go through dimensions, kinda like what Yuya just did now."_

The main counterpart frowned. _"I just said I wanted… to see Yuzu again. So then why would it bring me here?"_

" _Ray,"_ Yuto had put together the pieces. _"She was revived here, maybe Leo is trying again now."_

" _It makes sense,"_ Yuri nodded in agreement. _"Though my main question is, why is this place practically a ghost town? I mean, someone surely would've noticed us by now."_

Just as Yuri finished the thought, someone did in fact notice Yuya standing in the midst of the duel school's grounds. Someone who he had never met during the war but had still heard plenty about. A particular defector from Duel Academy.

"Yuya?" Asuka looked to him in confusion. "Why—how are you here? It's restricted access."

"You must be Asuka, right?" Yuya inquired politely, deciding not to answer her question for now. Analysing the girl who he—or at least half of him—had never met, she was tall and blond, sporting a blue and white outfit along with a puzzled look for the moment.

"Oh, uh… yes, I am," she was caught off guard by his greeting. "It's good to finally put a face with your name, Yuya, Yusho has told me all about you. This really isn't the best time though…"

"Why? What's going on?" Yuya asked.

"The authorities were looking to arrest the Professor for the things he's done, but he convinced them to wait for a while so that he could try to revive Ray again," Asuka explained. "They're giving him a week or two to do so under surveillance, might as well since she was literally the reason he tried to destroy entire dimensions."

Her words gave Yuya an idea. A bad one, but still worth a shot. "The Professor, Leo, I need to talk to him about that."

"Yuya, you can't," Asuka told him, her eyes widening at his proposition. "This place is swarming with guards, the only reason there aren't any in the duel grounds right now is because they have every square inch of the perimeter locked down. How'd you even get in, anyway?"

"Would you believe me if I told you my dragon teleported me here?" Surprisingly, she didn't dismiss the idea, only giving an accepting look in return as if to say, "I've heard crazier things." "Since you're here, can't you put in a good word for me, say I'm here at Reiji Akaba's request or something?"

"Are you here because of Reiji?" she asked.

"No, I'm not, my dragon just brought me here. But since it did, I'm not going to waste this opportunity. Please, Asuka, tell them, give me a chance at least."

She stayed silent, thinking it over a few moments before finally relenting. "Alright, I'll make the call." Asuka brought out her duel disk, speaking quietly to whoever was keeping Leo Akaba under their watch, making emphatic motions with her hand to get her message across.

" _You certainly are a smooth talker, Yuya,"_ Yuri told him teasingly.

Yuya was about to respond, but then saw Asuka wrap up her call, so he merely settled for a half-hearted glare. She walked over and delivered the final verdict.

"They're giving you 15 minutes to talk with him," she informed him, the decision surprising him. It must've shown on his face because Asuka then added, "15 minutes because you are an interdimensional hero, after all."

Asuka began walking towards the interiors of Duel Academy, only to look back and see Yuya's hesitation. "You wanted a chance, right? Here it is, let's go."

Finally, at his counterparts' insistence, Yuya got his legs to work and followed her towards one of the many building structures at the academy.

Time to meet the Professor again.

* * *

Meanwhile, back in the Pendulum dimension, Gongenzaka gritted his teeth, in a bit of a pickle with his duel. Tsukikage was certainly a formidable duelist, now more than ever since he had Pendulum monsters. He hadn't been able to inflict any damage to him all duel himself, the ninja only suffering half his life points by way of his own trap card activated to end the Battle Phase one turn, just when Gongenzaka thought he might break through. To make matters worse, Tsukikage had managed to regain life points during the duel as well with the help of the Action Card: **Energy Biscuits**. He was taking full advantage of the field, disposing of Action Cards to increase his monster's attack points with his continuous trap card Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Toad.

Gongenzaka breathed a heavy sigh of relief at the card he drew, it may be just what he needed to finally win this duel.

 **Turn 6**

 **Tsukikage: 2500 LP, Hand: 0**

 **Tsukikage controls Twilight Ninja Nichirin, the Chunin in attack mode (2300 ATK), Twilight Ninja Getsuga, the Shogun in defense mode (3000 DEF), Twilight Ninja Jogen (PS: 1) and Twilight Ninja Kagen (PS: 10) in his Pendulum Zones to deal high piercing damage, Illusion Ninjitsu Art of Hazy Toad, Barrier Ninjitsu Art of Gathering Shadows, and an additional facedown card in his Spell/Trap card zone. A field spell is also active: Hidden Village of Ninjitsu Arts.**

 **Gongenzaka: 900 LP, Hand: 3**

 **Gongenzaka controls Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei in defense mode (1900 DEF, reduced by Soulfire Suit's special ability to stop it from being destroyed), Superheavy Samurai General Coral (PS: 8) in his Pendulum Zone, no cards in his Spell/Trap card zone.**

"I summon Superheavy Samurai Magnet in attack mode!" Gongenzaka started off, hoping to get something going.

 **Superheavy Samurai Magnet: Lvl 4, 900 ATK, 1900 DEF, Machine, Effect, EARTH**

"When Samurai Magnet is successfully summoned, I can special summon another Superheavy Samurai from my hand! Come on out, the Tuner monster, Superheavy Samurai Battleball!

 **Superheavy Samurai Battleball: Lvl 2, 100 ATK, 800 DEF, Machine, Tuner, Effect, EARTH**

And since I don't have any spell or trap cards in my graveyard, I'm automatically allowed to summon my other Tuner monster, Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter from my hand!"

 **Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter: Lvl 2, 300 ATK, 600 DEF, Machine, Tuner, Effect, EARTH**

"Gongenzaka's packed his field now with several monsters ready to bring the heat against Tsukikage!" Nico exclaimed. "Let's see what he can do!"

"I tune my Level 2 Superheavy Samurai Battleball with my Level 4 Superheavy Samurai Magnet! With these two, I'll create a new Samurai that's guaranteed to mix things up a little! I Synchro Summon, Level 6 Superheavy Samurai Ogre Shutendoji!"

 **2 + 4 = 6**

 **Superheavy Samurai Ogre Shutendoji: Lvl 6, 500 ATK, 2500 DEF, Machine, Synchro, Effect, EARTH (Defense Mode)**

"When Ogre Shutendoji is successfully Synchro Summoned and I have no spell or trap cards in my graveyard, it can destroy all of _your_ spell and trap cards!" Gongenzaka revealed, blowing away Tsukikage's continuous spell cards, his monsters in the Pendulum Zones, the field spell Hidden Village of Ninjitsu Arts, along with his facedown that was Ninjitsu Art Notebook. With the field spell gone, the Action Field **Harpie's Hunting Ground** returned.

"Since you destroyed Hidden Village of Ninjitsu Arts, it lets me add one Ninja monster from my deck to my hand by banishing it from my graveyard," Tsukikage stated.

 **Tsukikage's hand: 1**

"I'm not done though! Next I tune my Level 2 Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter with my Level 8 Big Benkei! This monster's sure to have you shaking! I Synchro Summon, Level 10 Superheavy Samurai Warlord Susano-O!"

 **Superheavy Samurai Warlord Susano-O: Lvl 10, 2400 ATK, 3800 DEF, Machine, Synchro, Effect, EARTH (Defense Mode)**

"It's the first monster he Synchro Summoned against Yuya!" Shuzo exclaimed, the mention of the boy dampening his spirits slightly despite the great duel at hand. "Yuya…"

"Susano-O, attack Twilight Ninja Nichirin, the Chunin! Cut it down to size!" Gongenzaka ordered.

"By discarding Masked Ninja Ebusu from my hand, I can activate one of Ninja Nichirin's effects! Until the end of the turn, all Ninja monsters cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects!" Tsukikage immediately protected his monsters, though Gongenzaka had been prepared for this type of defense maneuver, making a counter.

"I activate Susano-O's ability! Once per turn, when I have no spell cards in my graveyard, I can activate a spell card from your graveyard by paying 500 life points! So I'm activating one of the Action Cards you discarded earlier to increase your monster's attack points, and it's gonna change this duel! It's the Action Spell: Detour! It negates one of your monster's effects," the protective shield around Tsukikage's monsters promptly vanished, "and deals you 500 points of damage!"

 **Gongenzaka: 900 – 500 = 400 LP**

 **Tsukikage: 2500 – 500 = 2000 LP**

Susano-O then slashed through the first Twilight Ninja unimpeded, destroying it and dealing more damage to the ninja.

 **Tsukikage: 2000 – 1500 = 500 LP**

"You are close to victory, but not quite there yet," Tsukikage said plainly, knowing how much Gongenzaka wanted to face Yuya in the next round.

"I will be after this move! By destroying my Superheavy Samurai General Coral in my Pendulum Zone, it lets Susano-O attack again!" The monster disappeared from the pillar of light, filling Susano-O with a red aura.

"Susano-O, attack again! This time, strike down Twilight Ninja Getsuga, the Shojun!" Susano-O extended its blade out again at Tsukikage's final remaining monster, the ninja quickly scrambling for an Action Card of his own.

Swift as ever, he found one, but could only chuckle as he saw what it was. This would finish the duel.

 **Tsukikage: 500 – 800 = 0 LP**

"What happened?" Gongenzaka asked, confused. "Your monster was in defense mode, you shouldn't have taken damage."

"I took damage because I found the Action Trap: Lousy Luck," he explained. "It dealt me 800 points of damage directly to finish the duel. It is only appropriate I suppose, given how I've been abusing Action Cards to my own advantage all duel."

"WHAT A FINISHER, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" Nico yelled. "Right when Gongenzaka seemed dead in the water, the perfect draw was able to save him! And how ironic that Tsukikage had been using Action Cards all duel to combo with his trap cards, but then Gongenzaka uses one he had discarded thanks to Susano-O, and Tsukikage loses to a seldom seen Action Trap instead of Gongenzaka's final monster attacking!"

"I gotta say, Action Traps were nice to see here, Nico," Melissa commented. "That's part of the risk ya take with Action Cards, and it finally caught up with Tsukikage in the end!"

Gongenzaka went over to shake hands with Tsukikage, the ninja gracefully taking the loss in stride. More importantly, Reiji's most trusted Lancer lowered his voice to a whisper so his words wouldn't be picked up by the crowd.

"Reiji has asked me to tell you and the other Lancers to keep an eye on Yuya Sakaki," Tsukikage warned, no hint of joking in his eyes.

"What? Why Yuya?" Gongenzaka asked. Sure, his friend was behaving unusually since he had gotten back, but he couldn't really blame him for being unable to get back to whatever his "normal" was.

"He is worried that Zarc's brief resurrection may have tampered with Yuya's mind, perhaps even distorted his memory of certain events. Do not worry too much though, I do not think personally that Yuya is unhinged in any way, just merely having… difficulty moving on."

"Tampered with his mind? Wait, if Zarc's still around, then why hasn't he tried to resurrect if Yuya's got the dragons with him?" he questioned.

Tsukikage blinked, the only sign he gave to indicate he was withholding information. "I am sorry, but we do not know where Zarc's soul is. We suspect his life force has been distributed throughout the dimensions like Ray's was initially. There should only be Yuya within Yuya now," he lied, knowing full well Zarc was actually inside Reira's body. And as far as _he_ knew, there should only be Yuya inside Yuya now.

"Alright, I'll keep an eye on him, maybe try to get some answers about this," the steadfast duelist responded, looking out to the crowd again to see Yuya still hadn't returned.

"Thank you. I must take my leave now. Gongenzaka, I wish you the best with the rest of the tournament."

At that, the ninja quickly left the arena in a blur, leaving Gongenzaka to mull over his words. Yuya seemed normal enough; against Masumi, he may have played some monsters that weren't his usual, but one could see that as a way to get the crowd excited. Still, Melodious… why did those cards seem so familiar to him?

Gongenzaka made his way back over to his seat next to Sawatari and Kurosaki, both of them immediately inquiring about what Tsukikage had told him. He explained everything word for word, the former trying to look unphased, while Kurosaki was notably surprised.

"Well, of course he might be unhinged, he was doing all the heavy lifting against Duel Academy!" Sawatari pointed out, remembering just how useless he had felt after Crow had broke his duel disk.

"Reiji wouldn't bring this up unless he had real concern," Kurosaki thought out loud. "But what could give him that idea? Yuya's seemed pretty composed ever since we got back."

"Guess you were right, Gongenzaka. He's definitely hiding something," the LDS duelist concluded.

Gongenzaka frowned, not ready to go down that road yet, but before he could retort, Nico's energetic voice filled the arena once more.

"And now folks, we're done with the first half of our quarterfinal matchups in our long anticipated Junior Arc League Championships! For our duels tomorrow, we have first thing in the morning: Mieru Houchun of the Fortune Prep School facing off against another entertainment duelist in Shingo Sawatari of the Leo Institute of Dueling!"

The three Lancers automatically scanned the audience for said fortune teller, Kurosaki eventually catching her staring right at them from the other side of the arena. She quickly looked away when he had met her eyes, pretending to be entranced by one of her magical charms.

 _She knows something,_ the Raid Raptors user realized, though he questioned just _how_ she did. Yuya's reservations of the girl were clear from the start, even to him. So why would he confide in her, of all people?

"And the later duel, to conclude this bracket will be Shun Kurosaki versus Hokuto Shijima, two esteemed Xyz duelists duking it out! The winners of these two matches will face off in the semifinals later on, and we can guarantee both duels will be thrillers! That's all for today everyone, have a safe evening and be sure to come back first thing in the morning for tomorrow!"

Kurosaki nudged Sawatari and Gongenzaka, wanting to get them moving quickly so they could confront Mieru on just what she knew. Unfortunately, the crowd was dispersing quickly from the arena, and it was difficult to keep sight of the girl from the distance that separated them.

"Kurosaki, what's the rush?" Sawatari asked as he got them running to the opposite side of the arena.

"We're going to have a little chat with Yuya's lover," he replied plainly, the slight inflection of sarcasm being all they needed to piece things together.

"Uh, what?" Gongenzaka tapped his ear to make sure he wasn't hearing things. "Why are we talking to Mieru? Shouldn't we go to Reiji to ask about Yuya?"

"Because she knows something, maybe why Yuya's been acting weird in Reiji's eyes," he said, before elaborating further on his thought process. "Maybe that talk they were having earlier wasn't so one sided after all."

Sawatari and Gongenzaka looked to each other, the former shrugging as if to say, "You got any better ideas?" Deciding to trust Kurosaki's judgment, they pressed on, darting past several spectators through the exits and making their way out of the arena, where bunches of people had already made their way outside.

Three pairs of eyes probed the area, searching for some distinct red, curly hair belonging to a short, petite girl. With no such luck, Kurosaki then had the three of them to split up to find her. In the event of success, the person who did find the girl would contact the others with his duel disk.

Gongenzaka started down the direction of the Fortune Prep School, Sawatari the opposite way, while Kurosaki followed the general direction the rest of the crowd went. After about 10 minutes, just when the Xyz duelist was starting to feel like this was a wild goose chase, his duel disk pinged with a call from Sawatari. Only three words were spoken, but they were all he needed to get his legs moving again.

"I found her!"

* * *

Yuya was being guided through Duel Academy by Asuka, who did her best to give him a more official tour of the area, considering the circumstances of his last visit. She explained how those who were enrolled in the academy but didn't participate in the invasion of the dimensions were sent back to their families, albeit some had no one to return to, in which case they remained on the duel grounds temporarily. The younger ones who did play a role were to be sent to a juvenile correction facility in the hopes of re-educating them. As for the higher ups like Barrett and Obelisk Force, they were to be imprisoned in a maximum-security prison on another island to "rehabilitate".

"So, what happens here then?" Yuya inquired, glad to hear of the developments.

"Duel Academy will be shut down for a while, at least until the public outrage simmers a bit," Asuka revealed. "People knew that Obelisk Force took part in the invasion, but they never imagined their own children doing so as well while _enjoying_ it. It won't be easy to move forward, but when we do… who knows what'll happen?"

"That's good," Yuya said solemnly with a nod. "At least it's a start."

"I guess you could say that…" she replied glumly. "You're right though, Yuya. It's something at least. Hopefully one day things can go back to… normal. Whatever normal was before the Professor."

"Do you have any idea what it was like?"

"Hardly, Leo was already here when I first enrolled. I've only heard second hand accounts of it. Some say it was relatively similar, students were still competitive, but there wasn't all that… savagery or turmoil. There was more to it than just dueling… a sense of camaraderie and friendship."

Her words hung in the air as she and Yuya passed a room that made him shudder: The Doctor's lab that housed all his parasites. The door was open, giving them a glimpse of a hazmat team cleansing the area of whatever twisted creations the man had conceived. When Yuya finally gathered the strength to ask about his fate, Asuka said the madman had been detained, though the jury was still out on his punishment.

Soon enough, he found on the outside of Leo Akaba's throne room, the place where everything had ended the first time around. Memories that would haunt him and the others rushed through his mind in an instant while Asuka talked to the guards on duty.

After promising that he wouldn't kill or maim the Professor on the spot (not that he had the heart to), the guards relented and let him in, saying, "He's all yours."

The doors shut behind him with an odd sense of foreboding once Yuya stepped inside. The Professor had heard his approach but didn't look back from the container housing what was only a miniscule amount of Ray's life force. Instead, the man simply analysed the vitals displayed on the monitors next to him and scowled.

Once again, Yuya wasn't sure how to tackle this situation. A part of him just wanted to rip into the Professor for his foolish ambition that caused so much devastation and misery, but that wouldn't help anyone in this case. Then again, Yuya wasn't sure if he _wanted_ to help the despicable man. In fact, he was beginning to wonder why he even came here in the first place.

"I know why you're here," Leo finally spoke, though he refused to meet his gaze. "You want to see if Ray can still be revived."

"I—yes, that's why I'm here," Yuya stuttered out. "What's it looking like?"

"Not good. I only managed to regain a fraction of her life force after the duel with _Zarc_ ," the man spit out the demon duelist's name in spite, some venom in his eyes that quickly subsided. "Though why do you care? You may not be filled with Zarc's evil anymore, but you don't even know Ray."

 _Oh, I know her. More than you would think,_ Yuya thought.

On the outside, Yuya tried to remain cordial, "I care because… Ray helped free me from the darkness, she saved me, all of us," he stated with conviction. "And I never want to see someone else suffer, especially because of me."

At that, Leo snapped, "Well, Ray is suffering now, she's suffered more than you will ever know! She paid the price with her life, all because… of YOU!" the Professor lost his composure, reaching for Yuya who easily sidestepped his attempt. Guards came racing into the room, Yuya signalling for them to stay back.

"Leo, Ray isn't dead. She can still be revived," he said calmly.

" _Not as herself entirely though,"_ Yuri reminded him of the technicality.

"Oh, really? How do you know?" Leo questioned, the spite evident in his voice.

"I know… because I saw her spirit after the duel," Yuya continued. "She told me that I could revive her if I can pacify Zarc's soul within Reira."

"If she's still alive, then why hasn't she returned to the reactor to be revived now?" Leo asked frustratedly, bringing up another question shortly after, "And why on earth is she contending with Zarc inside Reira?"

"Reira absorbed Zarc inside her to stop him from reviving with the dragons in his hand, and right now the only thing stopping him from consuming her entirely is Ray. If she leaves her body, Reira will be overwhelmed with darkness."

"Hmmph, I see. So how do you plan on getting the evillest duelist in history to just stop?" the Professor was entirely skeptical of Yuya's plan.

"I know this is going to sound crazy, but I can do it by reminding him why he used to duel. Before it was all about winning for him, before he became corrupted… to entertain the crowd and put on a show," Yuya said resolutely, doing his best to instill confidence within the man.

"Yuya, that version of Zarc died long ago, before he even became the Supreme King. What you're proposing will only lead you to disappointment and your demise. With your 'show', assuming you're going to incorporate the dragons into it, you'll only be making Zarc's evil stronger inside Reira!"

"Ray said that was the right way for everyone involved, so that the dragons can work towards moving on from the past, and for the good that's left in Zarc to pass on in peace. I trust Ray," Yuya made eye contact with Leo, extending his hand. "shouldn't you too?"

"I don't see why it matters if I do, considering you're just going to go through with it anyway while I rot in prison for the rest of my life," Leo snorted, slapping away Yuya's hand.

" _Wow_ _, was he this much of a selfish jerk the last time you guys met?"_ Yugo inquired.

" _Unfortunately, yes,"_ Yuto confirmed with a sigh.

Yuya took in a deep breath for what he was going to say next, ignoring his counterparts' commentary. "It matters Leo, because your intentions were pure when it came to reviving Ray, you just went about it completely wrong. It matters because she was your daughter and you did lose her. It matters because of all the lives you took to get the reactor working to bring her back. You can't change any of that, but you can change yourself now. Ray, even if we don't know her personally like you do, she's the reason all of us are still standing today. Purifying Zarc's soul is the only way to have even the smallest of chances to revive Ray. Leo, I may not be able to understand the things you did, but I understand why you did them to save your daughter. Please, just trust me, I can bring her back, at least in some way," Yuya concluded, a heavy silence filling the room.

"You seem entirely committed to this. Then again, I shouldn't expect any less stubbornness from you, considering it seems you truly are separated from Zarc's evil. Now… you remind me of him before his corruption," he finally spoke, eyeing Yuya carefully. "Do what you must to purify Zarc and bring Ray back, you have my blessing… for whatever it's worth."

At that, the man turned back to the glass container, and Yuya took that as his cue to leave, the guards giving Leo a wary look as they escorted him outside the room. Asuka guided him through the maze of a building once more, shooting him furtive glances of curiosity, but ultimately remaining silent nonetheless, giving Yuya a chance to reflect on the meeting.

It certainly wasn't what he had expected for a discussion with the Professor, but he felt it went about as well as it could given the circumstances. Perhaps hearing that Leo would pay the price for his atrocities made it easier for Yuya to talk to the man, even pity him to a degree. Shifting his thoughts to the main focus of the conversation, Ray. Yuya realized the woman hadn't spoken of her father one bit during their interaction within the "nexus point" between the living and dead. Was she holding resent for her father for reviving her against her will and dooming the world once more? Or was she simply unaware of the crimes he had committed in the short time she had awoken? Neither scenario painted a pretty picture.

Eventually, Asuka stopped walking in the middle of an abandoned hallway, Yuya shooting her a puzzled look after nearly bumping into her.

"Why are we stopping here?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow in addition to his previous look.

"Well, if you're going to travel through dimensions with your dragon again, might as well do it in a place without anyone watching," she replied with a shrug.

He then smiled at her wit, grateful for her help. "Thanks for everything, Asuka. And about helping this place get back to the way it was before all this…" the girl raised an eyebrow in questioning. "maybe I can help with that."

"That would be nice of you. Perhaps someday you can," she stated, growing a smile of her own for the first time. "Safe travels, Yuya."

After thanking her once more, Yuya closed his eyes, his mind focusing on only one thought repeatedly, almost like a mantra:

 _Take me home._

The blinding light appeared once more from Yuya's Extra Deck, whisking him away from the grounds of Duel Academy.

* * *

By the time Gongenzaka had managed to reach the park, Kurosaki and Sawatari had already begun grilling Mieru for whatever information she supposedly had on Yuya.

"I've already told you!" she insisted to the two Lancers. "My darling Yuya's spirit is different now, that's all I can say."

"Different how?" Kurosaki demanded. "How do you even know this?"

"Like I said, that's Yuya's secret to tell, and he'll tell you when he's ready," Mieru replied curtly, crossing her arms.

"As if Yuya would tell you this life changing secret and not us first!" Sawatari laughed at her proclamation.

"Hold on Sawatari, I don't think she's lying," Gongenzaka had caught this last bit of back and forth and interjected. "She has that kind of intuition to her."

"What do you mean?" Kurosaki narrowed his eyes at the girl.

"Back in the Battle Royal, Mieru was the first one to detect Zarc's presence inside Yuya. We weren't sure what it was at the time, but she nailed it thanks to that crystal apple of hers," Gongenzaka recalled.

"Crystal apple?" Sawatari asked, confused.

"She _is_ a fortune teller, Sawatari," Kurosaki stated, rolling his eyes slightly at Sawatari's ineptitude. "All of them have some kind of trinket to try and predict things."

"TRINKET?!" Mieru screeched. "I'll have you know my precious crystal apple has never led me astray! My divinations have never been wrong, and they aren't wrong here either! Besides, my darling Yuya already confirmed that for me." She added in the last part smugly.

"Unless you show you're more than talk, I'm not believing a word you say," Kurosaki shot her one of his patented death glares.

"Fine, I'll do a demonstration then," she declared, pulling out her crystal apple from one of her skirt pockets. "Who shall I read first?"

"It doesn't matter, as long as you prove you're no fraud," Kurosaki replied, wondering how Yuya could put up with this girl for so long.

"Very well then, you first," Mieru held the apple up to the Xyz duelist's face and observed. "I sense a calm, calculating coldness throughout you, your desire to protect others ignites a rousing flame within you. Beneath that however… I detect signs of uncertainty and discomfort, a softer interior. You've allowed your rage to consume that part of you, a blazing inferno to mask your own deficiencies and sorrows. But I also see a spark of light hidden underneath your anger and vengeance. It's even begun to shine as of late, yet it remains overshadowed nonetheless."

Gongenzaka listened carefully at her words. Not exactly how he'd describe Kurosaki, but from a first impression, it sounded pretty accurate. Naturally, the reading had angered the Raid Raptors user, who lunged at the girl only to be promptly restrained by Gongenzaka.

"Y'know Kurosaki, I think you're only proving her point by lashing out like that," Sawatari commented dryly before directing his attention back at Mieru. "That's cool and all, but do you have any other tricks to show off? Because frankly, even I could read Kurosaki like that just from his duel with Sora at the championships."

"Hmph, I'll have you know my clairvoyance knows no bounds," the girl retorted, offended by the notion. "It can also help me pick up the distinct auras of others, and that foresight led me to the park just now where my precious darling was last."

"How do you know that?" Gongenzaka asked, listening closely.

"I've only picked up traces of his lingering aura here, and no other signs of it throughout the city. I'm afraid my darling Yuya must have run off," Mieru looked at her crystal apple once more before letting out a somewhat defeated sigh.

"Run off? Away from the city?" Kurosaki scowled, breaking free of Gongenzaka at the mention of that. "That's it, you're going to tell us what's up with Yuya, one way or another."

"If I tell you what's bamboozling my darling, it would be unforgiveable of me!" Mieru remained firm in her decision, before adding somewhat hastily, "Besides, in retrospect, he's always managed to avoid any destiny I foresaw in the past and forged his own. Bad fortune always ends well for him. My darling likely just went off to find some sense of clarity himself, his condition is quite… extraordinary."

"Don't play dumb. If he's in some sort of trouble, you have to tell—"

"What—what's this? I'm detecting traces of his aura again; my darling has returned!" Mieru squealed with delight, interrupting Kurosaki's response.

"Seriously?" Sawatari shot her a skeptical glance. "Why should we believe you when you literally _just_ said—"

"Hey guys, what's going on?" a familiar upbeat voice called out, cutting off Sawatari.

Everyone turned to see the hot topic of conversation head down a hill towards them; it was none other than Yuya Sakaki himself who seemingly came out of nowhere. The three Lancers looked to each other in utter disbelief as the dueltainer used his roller boots to skate his way to them. Yuya's eyes widened at the sight of Mieru, the boy giving her a look of concern, which was enough for the others to question if they had somehow switched realities after getting back from the interdimensional war.

 _This_ would certainly be interesting.

* * *

 **Well, there you have it. Yuya pays an unexpected visit to Leo Akaba, who is promptly being held accountable for his actions once he's able to revive Ray. Gongenzaka beats Tsukikage (by the way, some cards' effects were changed to make the duel work)—sorry if you guys wanted a full duel, but I really couldn't think of a way to write it until the end—and then meets with the Lancers to confront Mieru, who's obviously going to stick by Yuya's secret, leading up to the events to conclude this chapter. It was kind of more filler to sort things out in universe, but eh. Sorry about the cliffhanger, but I wasn't too sure when I would stop the chapter I didn't do it there. :P**

 **Anyhow, now to address some reviews:**

 **Green Phantom Queen: Thanks for the advice! I was more of less mapping the duel out in my mind and writing the descriptions of all the monsters got me into a nice rhythm, but it definitely hinders the reading experience. I'll be sure to delete them in future chapters once I'm finished writing.**

 **Unknowedz: Since everyone's memories have been altered, but the events of Arc-V still happened, there will be slightly different motivations and reasons for why things remained the same. Leo detected Ray's life essence in the dimensions using his technology in his and everyone else's minds, which prompted him to start the dimensional war to revive her like the anime, only difference being Ray was never actually reincarnated according to everyone else. Timelines can get… confusing at times.**

 **Regarding my A/N in the beginning, I'm sorry to say the next update will likely not be next week, I've got a lot of examinations coming up in school, the next chapter's about half done (though a future one is just about complete), and there's just too much going on right now in my life. Just a warning in advance to all you readers! I hope you'll all be willing to see this through to the end though, until then, this story is on hold (possibly for two, maybe three weeks),**

 **See you then,**

 **-BasketballIsFun**


	5. Self Discovery

**Well, I'm back. Took a while, but here's the latest chapter. By the way, just curious: Do you think my chapters are too long? Just for reference, this one clocks in at about 8500 words without the A/N. Let me know what you guys think!**

 **Shoutout to Ghostkid33 for the insightful review, and Frwt as well!**

* * *

"Alright Yuya, spill it. What's going on with you?"

The dueltainer was now in quite the predicament upon rushing to bail out Mieru for his and everyone else's sake. He could've just walked away and hoped the situation would blow over, but his instincts kicked in before Yuya had thought better of it. Regardless, now Yuya had to make up a plausible explanation for his behavior on the spot and hope his friends didn't see through the ruse.

Naturally, he went with Plan A first: Denial. "What do you mean?" he replied innocently to Sawatari, who had initially posed the question. "I just needed some air after the duel, nothing much."

"What we _mean,_ " Kurosaki interjected, not buying the excuse for a second, "is why you're acting so strange. Stranger than normal, even I can tell. Playing a brand-new archetype during the tournament, talking about people counting on you like there's more to it than just the duel, and distancing yourself from everyone else. That's what we mean."

Denial never really worked, but there was always Plan B: Deflection. It usually managed to divert the attention of others off him for at least a short period of time.

"Okay, I get why you might be worried…" Yuya's voice remained steady as he slyly looked for a way to direct everyone's attention elsewhere, "but when it comes to Mieru, why are you guys giving her such a hard time?"

"She seemed on edge at the arena, fidgeting constantly. But the major tip off was when she wouldn't make eye contact with any of us," Kurosaki explained. "I went with my gut from there and sure enough, she knew something once we tracked her down."

"So Yuya, what exactly is so different about your _spirit_ now?" Sawatari put him directly on the spot, Yuya hoping he didn't give anything away from his body language.

That included not glaring at Mieru for giving them a lead, though he didn't fault her too much. If Kurosaki wanted information out of you, he would get it one way or another.

"Is Zarc still inside you, buddy?" Gongenzaka asked in a low voice, as if speaking too loudly would awaken the demon duelist then and there.

At least that question was an out to dodge Sawatari's. "No, Zarc's soul has been separated from me. I'm more than just him now," he said truthfully, moving his hand to rest over his heart. _More than you know._

"Separated? Then where is Zarc?!" Kurosaki demanded.

"After the duel, Reira absorbed him with Ray's help to seal him away," Yuya told them, receiving gasps of shock and raised eyebrows in return. "She's just a baby now, the only thing stopping Zarc from taking her is Ray."

"That's why we haven't seen Reira since we got back!" Sawatari quickly put two and two together.

"How do you know this? You went to Reiji, didn't you?" Kurosaki accused, Yuya confirming this with a nod. "And he didn't think to tell us too?"

"I guess good old Reiji doesn't think we're as important as Yuya," Sawatari said with a huff.

"Hold on, we can sort that stuff out with Reiji later," Gongenzaka intervened so they could get back on topic. "Yuya, if Zarc isn't part of you anymore, then shouldn't the other dragons be sealed away like last time?"

"Sealed away?" Yuya repeated in surprise. _What does he mean by that?_

" _Well, just think about it. If we don't exist in their memories but the dragons do, then it means exactly what he said. The dragons must've been hidden away in the dimensions, at least from what they remember,"_ Yuto deduced.

" _Makes sense to me. If our dragons went around freely after being separated by Ray, I think they'd be pissed off enough to destroy the dimensions on their own,"_ Yugo chimed in with agreement.

Kurosaki narrowed his eyes at Yuya's misdemeanour. "And there's another issue to address: Your memory. You keep forgetting basic things, like back in the tunnel with Masumi, and just now with your dragons," Kurosaki stepped towards him, a look of determination in his eyes, one Yuya was all too familiar with. "Tell us what you're hiding."

Mieru stepped in to defend him. "My Yuya is not obligated to tell you anything! It's his right and he's exercising it right now!"

Yuya pulled the fortune teller aside before Kurosaki could potentially lash out in anger, matching the Raid Raptors user's fierce glare with one of his own. It was clear after a few moments that neither of them would back down, so Yuya took the time to gather the conviction and will needed for what he would say next in hopes it would satisfy him and everyone else.

"You want to know the truth, what I'm hiding? Well the truth is, I'm just as confused as all of you! I don't know why I have the dragons, or what's going on _with my soul_!" Yuya's voice notably synchronized with his counterparts then, causing everyone to flinch. He felt his resolve waver slightly with the lies he had just spewed, but continued on nonetheless, "You've seen me pull out some new cards before, haven't you? What's wrong with adding a few more? At the end of the day, Zarc isn't in my head anymore and I'm just trying to get things back to normal, which isn't always easy a few days after fighting a war! So back off Kurosaki, I'm in the dark about as much you are, alright?"

An indefinite silence filled the area after Yuya's outburst, and while he was glad his friends weren't putting him or Mieru on the spot anymore, he still felt bad about it. "I'm sorry… it's been hard transitioning the past couple of days… I just lost myself there," Yuya apologized, lightening the tension slightly. "Please… I'm still trying to figure all this out myself, just… I need some space."

Not waiting for an answer, Yuya walked away from the Lancers and Mieru without any resistance from the four, shoulders slumped and head down as he made a beeline for his house. The four of them were still standing in silence from Yuya's sudden mood swing and how his voice had become so abruptly harsh… almost like Zarc.

"I guess we—no, I was—a little too hard on him there," Kurosaki finally said with a sigh, his gaze landing on Mieru. "I'm sorry for how I treated you too. If Yuya trusts you enough to keep this secret of his, then that's his call to make and I shouldn't try to force it out of you."

Mieru met Kurosaki's eyes then, nodding in acceptance of his apology. She didn't want to push her luck though, given that his tone had a sense of finality to it, so she quickly scurried off in the same direction Yuya had gone before the Xyz duelist could change his mind.

"I, the man Gongenzaka, can understand if he doesn't want to talk," Gongenzaka watched his best friend disappear into the horizon of the night sky, "but if he keeps his problems all cooped up to himself, it won't end well. I've seen this kind of thing play out when Yuya's dad disappeared."

"Yuya's been through the most of us all though, we can't just put him on the spot and expect to get answers," Kurosaki admitted, the realization that everyone reacted differently to the heat of war hit him hard. He had been hardened by it, the horrors giving his heart the willpower to fight back with no mercy, while Yuya was obviously affected much more mentally.

"But then what do we do? Yuya was pretty adamant, he's not telling us anything until he feels ready," Sawatari asked in frustration.

"We give him the space he needs," Gongenzaka said affirmatively. "And in time, he'll come around."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and a few more formalities were exchanged between the three Lancers regarding the topic before they all dispersed to be where they needed to be. They decided to only mildly probe Yuya every now and then regarding his issues post war, in hopes that it would get him to open up a bit more to everyone. It would likely be a slow, arduous process.

But the three of them were more than prepared to endure it if it helped get Yuya through whatever rough patch he was facing.

* * *

When he finally got home, Yuya wanted nothing more than to go sleep and start anew tomorrow.

Unfortunately, his parents had different ideas.

Yoko and Yusho shared great concern for their son and the way he had been acting all day, especially after his duel which had been strange enough. In preparation for his arrival, Yoko had cooked up a spread of fine dishes that would entice Yuya to speak freely, without the spotlight or scrutiny of fans.

Getting a warm welcome once he got back home, Yuya knew at once there was no point in trying to avoid the inevitable parent talk, so he relented and sat at the dinner table. He wasn't eating as enthusiastically as he usually did, chewing his food slowly to avoid speaking for as long as possible while his parents eyed him carefully, having already finished their portion earlier in the evening. They didn't push him like Kurosaki had, which he was eternally grateful for, but he still dreaded the conversation and excuses that he would make up as a result of it.

"Rough day, Yuya?" Yoko tested the waters with a classic question that wouldn't press him too much, something to gauge his mood.

He nodded, knowing there was no point in trying to hide it from her; his mom could read him like a book. "After the duel, I had to go clear my head a bit, reflect on things."

"Would one of those things happen to be…" Yusho hesitated, unsure if he should be blunt about it, "about you using two of the Dimensional Dragons today?"

"Yeah, I was thinking about what it means for Re—Zarc," Yuya replied honestly, his mom shuddering at the name. "He isn't a part of me anymore, at least not his evil part, but it hasn't been easy moving on."

"I see," Yusho peered at his son inquisitively. "So Zarc isn't affecting you like Reiji said?"

"You mean you talked to Reiji?" Yuya questioned, unable to conceal his surprise.

"Of course, he reached out to me out of concern for you, Yuya. Despite what you may think at times, the boy does have a good heart," his father explained.

"What did you guys talk about?" Yuya leaned in closely in anticipation, before realizing it'd be best to take his hyperactivity down a few notches.

"Reira's condition for one thing. During your duel when you summoned Odd-Eyes and its evolved form, she was practically glowing with light and actually looked excited about it. But then when you summoned Starving Venom, a darkness slowly began to spread through her," Yusho told his son what Reiji had said word for word.

"What does that mean?" Yuya asked, puzzled. Was it just confirmation that Odd-Eyes had in fact let go of his desire for vengeance against humanity, while Starving Venom was a little slower on the uptake?

"We don't know, and we're not sure what effect the other dragons could have on her," he admitted with a sigh.

Yoko cut in upon seeing the stumped look on her son's face, "Yuya, we know you've been through a lot recently, we won't force you to do anything. Just do what you think is right, keep dueling the way you always have to make others smile."

Yuya smiled, grateful for the pep talk. "You're right Mom. I can't forget who I am, or why I duel. It's hasn't been easy, especially after everything that's happened, but I'll find a way."

"I'm glad to hear that, Yuya," Yusho replied, resting a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. "I was worried about how Zarc would affect you, but you seem to be doing fine."

" _Well, as far as he knows, that is the case,"_ Yuri commented, reminding the counterparts of Yuya's earlier outburst.

"Yuya, if you're ever feeling down on yourself, just remember we're all here for you," Yoko reminded him. "You're capable of great things, and I'm sure that as long as you follow your heart, Reira and everyone else will smile with you in the end."

"Mom… Dad, thank you," Yuya was doing his best not to break down in tears that instant. He drew closer to them, enveloping his parents in a hug.

"No need to thank us, that's what we're here for, Yuya," his mom said in response as the hug continued. Yuya wanted nothing more than for the moment to last forever, but things never were that simple.

"Now then, I say you look pretty tired, young man. Why don't you go get some sleep?" she asked politely, a hint of teasing in her voice.

"I guess you're right, it is kind of late," Yuya conceded, sneaking a glance at the clock.

After he said good night to his parents, sloppily brushed his teeth, wished his counterparts—who were all fairly bushed themselves—pleasant dreams, Yuya lied awake in bed for a while, his mind still racing after the events of the day. Eventually, a wave of exhaustion hit him, finally allowing him to doze off, though it would only be a temporary reprieve.

* * *

He wasn't sure where he was, but Yuya knew it wasn't anywhere in Miami City. He looked up and all at once saw the Four Dimensional Dragons, only there was something different about one of them.

 _Odd-Eyes,_ he realized. It wasn't his Odd-Eyes, well not anymore at least. It was the original Odd-Eyes Dragon, his ace monster that had been reborn through Pendulum. So, if it was here…

He turned around to the sight of a roaring crowd cheering him on. Yuya didn't do that of his own will though, it felt like he was merely watching an event unfold through someone else's eyes, unable to do anything to intervene. His eyes met another set of pupils belonging to someone he recognized quickly: Ray Akaba.

Turning back to the battle, he could hear someone yell for an attack, it certainly seemed like it had come from him, but it didn't sound like his voice. But at the same time… it did in a way. The answer to what he was witnessing was clear, but he didn't accept it until he saw himself reflected in Clear Wing's shining mirror-like wing. Silver hair with some light green sprinkled in, yellow eyes staring back at a face bearing an eerie resemblance to his own, also sporting a blue and white jacket with orange bordering it, there was no questioning it now.

He was seeing Zarc's memories through his perspective. The Zarc before his corruption and fall from grace, the person Yuya and his counterparts used to be before they were conceived. Leo Akaba had told him little about his previous self and the history behind his downfall, and while Yuya did want to know more about his original incarnation, seeing it firsthand only brought him sadness. Especially when he saw Zarc—who he _was_ at one point—smile a pure smile of innocence, the older version of himself hopping on Odd-Eyes's back, the other dragons lined up around him side by side as he prepared for a final flurry of attacks.

He saw the other three dragons destroy his opponent's monsters, and Zarc praising them as they roared out, like he could understand them and their feelings… It left Odd-Eyes to be the finisher, a direct attack wiping out his opponent.

The challenger, a man who looked to be in his forties, was clutching his arm in pain, the attack having teared open his skin deep, blood pouring out from multiple areas at an alarming rate. He saw Zarc cover his mouth with his hand in horror at what he had done, the crowd remaining so quiet that the only sound that could be heard were the dragons disappearing once the Solid Vision system shut down.

Then the cheers began, the PA announcer voiced his approval, and someone—the organizer of the event, Yuya supposed—excitedly raced up to Zarc and declared him to be the winner of some tournament, all the while the other duelist was being carried away on a stretcher with medics attempting to stop the bleeding.

Yuya could sense that Zarc had wanted to say something, that it just been an accident, he didn't want to duel the way he had, but all the support drowned out the argument before it could arise from his throat. Instead, he felt his—Zarc's—face contort to give an uneasy smile, his hand waving to acknowledge the audience.

 _This… this is where it all started,_ Yuya realized. _He was just like me, and one accident changed everything._

The scenery abruptly changed, shifting to him as Zarc inside what appeared to be a dressing room, an agent of some sort giving him encouragement. The wrong kind by the sounds of it.

"I tell you Zarc, keep doing what you're doing, embrace your aggressive side when it comes to dueling. The crowd's eating this stuff up. In no time flat, you'll be the greatest duelist ever, as long as you ride with me to the top."

Soon, it was like Yuya was watching a slideshow, only catches snippets of images and conversation.

"You showed him Zarc!"

"Is that all you've got?"

"Pummel him, just like before!"

But then the most unsettling scene of them all appeared, sending shivers up his spine. This time Yuya was watching from an outside perspective, witnessing a ruined arena casted into darkness, people quivering in fear as a lone spotlight shined on Zarc, who spoke menacingly, but at the same time, almost detached from reality altogether:

" **IS THERE NO ONE LEFT TO CHALLENGE ME? HMMPH, YOU ALL WANTED ME TO FIGHT, TO GIVE A GREATER DUEL, WELL I GAVE IT TO YOU! YOU MADE ME WHO I AM, AND FROM HERE ON, YOU WILL ALL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES!"**

Yuya held his breath as he knew what was coming next. The dragons beginning their onslaught, terrorizing those in the vicinity. A dark aura knocked out the final paltry spotlight, and Yuya shut his eyes as he heard the screaming, magnified tenfold by the sheer numbers that were being slaughtered on the spot.

It was too much. How could this have happened? How—

"AUGH!" Yuya cried out, only to find himself awake in bed. He took deep breaths to calm himself, head in his hands as he replayed Zarc's memories in his mind. While he had assumed the worst when it came to how his former self had fallen, he couldn't fathom the degree of destruction Zarc had inflicted upon the world. And it all started when the crowd wanted him to become more violent… Sure, he shouldered some of the blame as well for allowing himself to succumb to their demands, but it was still frightening to think about.

" _Yuya?"_ the tomato haired boy looked over to find Yuto's transparent spirit eyeing him worriedly. Apparently, his outburst had awoken him in their shared mind.

" _I'm fine, Yuto,"_ he replied with a sigh, trying not to appear shaken. _"Really, I just had a bad dream. I'll be okay."_

His Xyz counterpart looked unsure of this, but let it slide. _"Well, alright then. Get some sleep, I got a feeling that if we talk any more, we'll get Yugo and Yuri into the mix, and they can get pretty cranky under certain circumstances."_

" _I can imagine,"_ Yuya gave a good-hearted laugh. _"Thanks, Yuto. I know this isn't how you—or any of us—want to live our lives, but I'm glad in a way that you and the other guys are here to help."_

" _I've been with you for a long time now, Yuya. At this point, I don't really mind. Having my own body back would be nice, but if this is how we're going to live out our days from here… it wouldn't be so bad,"_ Yuto said wistfully, a hint of longing in his eyes even as his words didn't reflect his expression. _"But we've still got work to do, now go back to sleep and keep your energy up."_

At that, Yuto disappeared back into his own headspace, leaving a somewhat amused Yuya behind. "Didn't know he was my older brother now," he muttered jokingly.

But he did as he was told, slipping back into unconsciousness, this time dreaming of something much more pleasant: Yuzu amongst other things. But mostly about Yuzu.

* * *

The next day, Yuya agreed to head over to the arena with his parents, partly because he wanted to spend some time with them, but also because of his outburst the other day with all his friends present. He didn't necessarily want to give them the cold shoulder, but he felt avoiding them for now would at least hopefully defuse any potential tension.

Fortunately, they had no run-ins with any of the Lancers once they arrived at the arena which was at about half capacity. Unfortunately, Yuya instead had to deal with being mobbed by fans, no matter how discreet he tried to be. Yoko chuckled at the spectacle, while Yusho assured his son that he'd get used to it. He then told Yuya they had Reiji to thank for his celebrity status, as the young CEO had made it abundantly clear to the public of the integral role Yuya played during the war in a press conference upon return to their dimension.

" _How come we didn't hear about this?"_ Yugo asked in surprise.

" _Well, I was just sitting at home the past few days… good thing school's over,"_ Yuya replied sheepishly.

The three counterparts gave him simultaneous scolding glares but didn't push the envelope on that topic. To repel the attention he garnered, Yuya simply swallowed himself up with a hoodie to hide his face for the time being until the actual duels began for the day. Peeking out every now and then, he eventually met Gongenzaka's eyes at the other end of the arena, at which Yuya quickly turned away in guilt once he was reminded of the prior day's events. Other than that, the rest of the wait leading up to the duels was relatively incident free, Yuya finally letting himself exhale in relief upon hearing Nico Smiley's voice boom throughout the arena.

"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen! We had a thrilling opening two matches for our Junior Arc League Championship quarterfinals yesterday, and there's plenty more in store!" Nico began, Yuya finally taking off the hoodie with a new source of attention at hand. "Today we're starting things off with a duel between the Leo Institute's own entertainment duelist Shingo Sawatari! And he'll be facing off against Mieru Houchun, who if you all remember lost to a one turn kill in her original first round matchup against Tsukikage a few weeks ago. She may be here only as a technicality, but don't you worry folks, Mieru's got a bit of showmanship herself. Let's just see how she redeems herself this duel!"

"This matchup caught my eye right away!" Melissa Claire gave her own input regarding the duel. "I only caught a glimpse of Sawatari dueling back in the Friendship Cup, but it was certainly entertaining! Mieru's got that aura of mystery to her, let's just see how she stacks up to the competition!"

"Duelists, make your way to the dueling field and we'll get this matchup going right away!" Nico told the competitors.

Sawatari and Mieru exited their respective tunnels leading to the field, the former soaking up the applause like it was a desert oasis, while Mieru seemed a lot more composed, a cool, easy going smile on her face.

"Thank you everyone, thank you!" Sawatari was quickly winning over the support of the audience with his outgoing personality. "Rest assured, I'll be taking this duel, but don't you worry, what you're all about to witness is only a prelude of the skills of the top Lancer: Super Hyper New Neo Shingo Sawatari!"

The crowd roared in approval along with Nico, who was equally pumped up, "My, oh my, the crowd's already riled up from Sawatari's introduction. Who knows how loud this place could get once the actual duel gets going? Let's find out!" the commentator pressed the button to randomize the Action Field chosen. "Alright folks, our Action Field for this duel will be: **Shine of Mist Valley!** Hang on, we're going cloudy here!"

The ARC system quickly generated the field spell, a temple with a banner depicting the Wind attribute symbol appearing on Mieru's side of the field, the air becoming a lot hazier throughout the field in the process as well. It didn't totally obscure the duelists' view; they could still make out the other's body figure from a distance. However, the field would certainly make things interesting when it came to obtaining Action Cards.

"Alright, looks like they're both raring to go, let's see what these two duelists got for us today!" Melissa exclaimed while the two were exchanging words on the field.

"I hope you realize your _darling_ is never going to fall for you," Sawatari said plainly for everyone to hear, trying to throw Mieru off her game. The girl flinched at the comment as he continued, "I mean, he really should though, not like there are any other girls out there for him."

"Oh no," Yuya muttered, burying his head back into his hoodie again.

" _Wow, the guy is just a straight up comedian,"_ Yuri stated drably, not at all enthused.

" _Okay, maybe there's a bit of an insensitive side to him,"_ Yugo admitted after having witnessed that display.

" _A bit?"_ Yuto repeated with a shake of his head.

"I don't see why it matters to you," Mieru replied curtly, crossing her arms. "Besides, Yuya trusts me enough to keep his secrets, which is more than what I can say for you!"

"He didn't really confide in you, you know!" Sawatari pointed out. "Your little crystal apple just happened to be right for once about him."

"What did you say?!" Mieru was furious at the boy's dismissal of her most prized possession.

"Well, it's like they say, even a broken clock is right twice a day," he replied with a casual shrug.

"Broken? How dare you disrespect my fortune telling skills!" Mieru brought out the translucent round figure from her skirt pocket. "This apple is my cherished possession, never before has it steered me in the wrong direction! After the stunt you pulled yesterday, I thought you'd have known that by now! But all you've done is increase your suspension of disbelief to deny what's right in front of you!"

"Um, okay then?" Sawatari wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"The cards were a bit lacking today in terms of clairvoyance, likely to represent this murky field, but no matter," Mieru pointed right at Sawatari, brimming with confidence. "I may not be able to foresee the outcome of this duel, but I'll take a page out of my darling's book and win anyway, no matter what!"

"There's some primetime trash talk going on here folks! Whatever this secret our very own Yuya Sakaki is holding, it seems to be dividing these two duelists right down the middle. Just who will walk away the victor by the end of this conflict?" Nico wondered aloud, drumming up more excitement amongst the crowd.

"Duelists locked into battle!" Sawatari began, a slight edge to his voice

"Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" Mieru continued the chant with a twinkle in her eye.

"They storm through this field! Behold!"

"This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling! It's time to Action…"

"DUEL!" Both of them concluded.

 **Turn 1**

 **Mieru: 4000 LP, Hand: 5**

 **Sawatari: 4000 LP, Hand: 5**

"I'll go first," Mieru proclaimed without hesitation.

"By all means, be my guest," Sawatari replied with a smirk.

"First, I think a change of scenery will do some good. I activate the field spell: **Clairvoyant Sanctuary!** This should clear things up a bit," she declared, the Action Field being overrun, an assortment of crystal balls and fragmented stairways appearing in their place, along with two temples on opposite sides of the battlefield, adjacent to the duelists.

"When this field spell is active, all Ritual monsters gain 300 attack points, plus if either player has a Prediction Princess on their field at the end of their turn, they can draw a card," she explained. "Next, I'll set a monster facedown in defense mode."

 **Mieru's facedown monster: ?**

Then I place one more card facedown. But before I end my turn, I'll draw one card from my deck thanks to my field spell, which should tell you what kind of monster I just set. Your move."

 **Mieru's hand: 3**

Sawatari scrutinized the field's current state. "Hmm, why so defensive? That's very telling in a duel like this."

"Take your turn and you'll find out why," the girl retorted.

"Well then, only because you insist," he said in an overexaggerated manner, eyes twinkling. "My turn, draw!"

 **Turn 2**

 **Mieru: 4000 LP, Hand: 3**

 **Sawatari: 4000 LP, Hand: 6**

"Fortunately, my deck doesn't rely on luck like you. I've got all the cards I need to win right here! With Scale 3 Abyss Actor – Extras and Scale 7 Abyss Actor – Curtain Raiser, I set the Pendulum Scale! Now I can call upon a variety of actors to take the stage today!" Sawatari declared.

"First, let's give a warm welcome to Abyss Actor – Leading Lady! And her partner in crime, Abyss Actor – Wild Hope!" The two monsters looked energized to be on the field, their eyes zeroed in on Mieru's facedown monster.

 **Abyss Actor – Wild Hope: Lvl 4, 1600 ATK, 1000 DEF, Fiend, PS: 2, Effect, DARK**

 **Abyss Actor – Leading Lady: Lvl 4, 1500 ATK, 1200 DEF, Fiend, PS: 2, Effect, DARK**

"Easy as pie, I've got one monster to take out your facedown monster, and another to hit you with some damage. And don't think you're safe because your monster's in defense mode, because I'm activating two spell cards: Abyss Script – Burning Flare and Opening Ceremony. The first one's going to be a real scorcher, because it gives my monsters the ability to inflict piercing damage this turn, and all your monsters in defense mode lose 300 defense points! And Opening Ceremony rejuvenates me with 500 life points for each Abyss Actor on my field!"

 **Mieru's facedown monster: ? – 300 = ?**

 **Sawatari: 4000 + (500 x 2) = 5000 LP**

"Now it's time! Abyss Actor – Wild Hope, you're up first. Attack and destroy her facedown monster! Bullhorn Blast!" Sawatari ordered.

"I'm activating my trap: Evil Eyed Deterrent! For every other spell and trap card that was activated this turn, my facedown monster can't be destroyed an equal amount of times! There are two cards in our zones right now, so my monster won't be destroyed twice!" A protective mist surrounded Mieru's monster, several giant eyes gazing at Sawatari's monster through the fog in a bone chilling manner.

"You'll still take damage thanks to my Abyss Script's effect though!" Sawatari reminded her, Mieru taking the hit.

 **Mieru: 4000 – 500 = 3500 LP**

 _500 points of damage, that must mean her facedown has 1100 defense points right now,_ Sawatari realized.

"Leading Lady, dish out some more damage!" he continued.

 **Mieru: 3500 – 400 = 3100 LP**

Mieru flew through the air after the last hit, crashing into a bush, which was understandable given her small figure, but Sawatari commented on it nonetheless, still playing mind games of his own.

He chuckled. "This is too easy. I'm beginning to wonder why they even let you back into the tournament. I get that they needed eight people to round things out, but still, surely there's someone out there better than you."

"You—you're…" Mieru trailed off, the memory of losing to Tsukikage on the ninja's first turn fresh in her mind. Ever since the Lancers left, she vowed to improve as a duelist, but even now… she felt like she was far out of her league. She closed her eyes, ready to concede. "You're r—"

"Don't give up, Mieru!" a voice called out, one she recognized instantly. She looked up to see none other than Yuya Sakaki standing up and cheering for her, an encouraging smile on his face. "I've seen you duel myself, I know you've got the skills to pull this out!"

 _Darling's cheering for me too. He's right, I can't lose, not like this, not in front of him! With all he's done as a duelist, it's time I show how I've grown myself,_ Mieru thought, glancing at the cards in her hand.

Meanwhile, Sawatari was irritated by the boy's pep talk. "Hey Yuya, whose side are you on anyway?"

"Don't blame me, I just want to see a good duel," he replied, holding his hands up in innocence.

"He's right!" Mieru got back up to her feet. "You've put on your show Sawatari, now it's time I show you what I can do! This duel's far from over!"

"Despite Sawatari's advantage, Mieru's getting fired up, and I must say, her energy is quite infectious!" Nico stated excitedly.

"We'll just see how far that spirit goes," Sawatari said. "But for now, I end my turn and with that, my Abyss Script's effect comes to a close now, returning your monster's defense points to normal."

 **Mieru's facedown monster: 1100 + 300 = 1400 DEF**

"My turn, I draw!" Mieru proclaimed, a new fire in her eyes.

 **Turn 3**

 **Mieru: 3100 LP, Hand: 5**

 **Sawatari: 5000 LP, Hand: 0**

"First, I'll flip over my facedown monster Prediction Princess Coinorma to attack mode and activate its flip effect. When it's flipped over, I'm allowed to set a Level 4 or below monster straight from my deck. And I have just the right monster in mind."

 **Prediction Princess Coinorma: Lvl 3, 800 ATK, 1400 DEF, Fairy, Flip, Effect, EARTH**

 **Mieru's new facedown monster: ?**

"Next, I activate my facedown monster's special ability. By sending a card in my hand to the graveyard and paying 500 life points, I can flip summon it this turn!" Mieru revealed.

"So, you're going to weaken your hand to flip over your monster?" Sawatari questioned.

"Not exactly," she replied, and with a slight of hand, the aspiring fortune teller revealed what she would discard, much to Sawatari's surprise.

"An Action Card?" he looked on, dumbfounded. "How did you get one?"

"It was a stroke of luck, even for me," she admitted. "Remember when your attack threw me into the bush? It just so happens that I managed to snag a card in there. Now then, I'll send the Action Spell: Acceleration to the graveyard and pay the required life points. Now reveal yourself, Prediction Princess Shadow Wisp!"

 **Prediction Princess Shadow Wisp: Lvl 4, 1200 ATK, 1000 DEF, Fairy, Flip, Effect, DARK**

 **Mieru: 3100 – 500 = 2600 LP**

"That's a new one," Yuya recalled his duel with Mieru, how she mostly attempted to lockdown his monsters by switching them to defense mode before dealing effect damage with her monster's flip effects. This new monster was a lot more menacing than Mieru's usual monsters, a ghostly spirit hovering around the battlefield. The tiara on its head wasn't exactly diminishing the creepiness of it either. _Seems like she's changing gears now,_ he thought to himself.

"Shadow Wisp's flip effect activates! When it's successfully flip summoned, I can add a Ritual spell from my deck to my hand!" Mieru continued.

 **Mieru's hand: 5**

"I'll put it to good use right away by activating it! Go, Calamity Ritual! By tributing monsters whose total levels equal or exceed that of my Ritual monster's, I can summon it! I tribute my Level 4 Shadow Wisp along with Level 3 Astromorrigan in my hand to Ritual Summon a new Prediction Princess! Sleuthing in the darkness, with foresight unlike none other, arise and guide those who seek clarity! Come forth, Level 7 Prediction Princess Chronolight!"

 **Prediction Princess Chronolight: Lvl 7, (2200 + 300) = 2500 ATK, 1500 DEF, Fairy, Ritual, Effect, DARK**

Chronolight was a new sight to behold for the crowd, dressed in dark purple attire, a clock etched into its lower half. Though most notably, the monster levitated in the air, seemingly from the energy its large crystal ball radiated.

"Don't let its appearance fool you, there's much more to my monster than meets the eye. Once on each of my turns, Chronolight can draw upon its mystical powers, allowing me to send one spell card in my deck to the graveyard and activate its effect, like so," she revealed, plucking out the card immediately.

"The card I just discarded was Distorted Fusion! It lets me Fusion Summon a monster by banishing monsters from my graveyard!"

The crowd let out a collective gasp of surprise, even Reiji turned his attention to the duel at Mieru's declaration. After all, it wasn't just an ordinary Fusion Summon, but one from the graveyard as well.

"F-Fusion?" Sawatari stuttered, seemingly in a state of shock. "When did you learn how to Fusion Summon? _How?_ "

"Why, my darling Yuya inspired to do so, of course. So I did some extensive research, familiarized myself with the basics, and from there, it was just about getting the combinations down," she replied, a hint of pride in her voice.

"Astounding!" Nico Smiley exclaimed, befuddled by this development. "Mieru has taken her game to the next level, and I can bet she's about to blow Sawatari out of the water with this Fusion Summon!"

"I banish Prediction Princess Shadow Wisp and Astromorrigan from my graveyard to Fusion Summon! Eloquent mistress of the night, unveil your true colors and impose your unwavering will on this duel! With this monster, I call upon the powers of the fallen to give their strength! Emerge, Prediction Princess Necromedea!"

 **Prediction Princess Necromedea: Lvl 7, 2300 ATK, 1000 DEF, Fairy, Fusion, Effect, DARK**

Mieru's Fusion monster was wearing a black cloak akin to those women wear at funerals, a solemn look on its face as blank, almost hypnotic eyes bored into the audience's eyes. It was also wielding what appeared to be a magical wand, its tip refined into the shape of a star.

"Now I activate Evil Eyed Deterrent's effect from my graveyard! Once per turn, I can banish all spell cards in my graveyard, and for every card that I banish, one of your monsters loses 300 attack points. I'm banishing Acceleration, Calamity Ritual of the Fallen, and Distorted Fusion to reduce Wild Hope's attack points by 900!" Mieru made the final step of her preparations.

 **Abyss Actor – Wild Hope: 1600 - (300 x 3) = 700 ATK**

"Action Card, Action Card, I need a…" Sawatari was scrambling for an out, even darting inside the temple generated by Mieru's field spell in hopes of obtaining a stroke of luck.

"You'll be looking a while, I can guarantee you that! Prediction Princess Chronolight, strike back at Abyss Actor – Leading Lady! Attack with Bolts of Misfortune!" Mieru ordered, a blast of energy coming from her monster's crystal ball, shredding Sawatari's monster instantly. The LDS duelist grunted from the blow but managed to stay on his feet.

 **Sawatari: 5000 – 1000 = 4000 LP**

"Now, Prediction Princess Necromedea, attack Wild Hope! Go, Stunning Star Slash!" Mieru countered.

"I'm activating Miracle to stop Wild Hope from being destroyed and halving the damage I take!" Sawatari shot back, having finally found an Action Card. The attack still knocked him off balance as he emerged from the temple.

 **Sawatari: 4000 – (1600/2) = 3200 LP**

"Hmm, fine. My Coinorma will finish the job!" Mieru's final monster struck the final blow, leaving Sawatari's field empty. Mieru didn't get too excited for the moment, knowing he would be able to Pendulum Summon them back his next turn.

 **Sawatari: 3200 – 100 = 3100 LP**

"You may have ended Wild Hope's run, but it didn't go down easy. Plus, it has a great parting gift, allowing me to add one Abyss Actor to my hand from my deck!" Sawatari countered, showing he had added Funky Comedian to his hand.

 **Sawatari's hand: 1**

"So be it, then. Now that the battle's over, I'll tribute Coinorma to set another monster facedown in defense mode. And thanks to Clairvoyant Sanctuary, I can draw one more card since I have plenty of Prediction Princesses on the field," the girl declared, doing as she said. "I'll set this card facedown and end my turn. Your move."

 **Mieru's new facedown monster: ?**

The aspiring entertainer duelist gave Mieru a momentary glare before inexplicably bursting into laughter himself, leaving the girl puzzled. She gave him a questioning look in response.

"Sorry, it's just funny to think about what's happened in this duel," he elaborated once he regained his composure. "To start, I'd thought you'd be a pushover, and my first turn only reassured me of that. But then you pull off a _Fusion Summon_ of all things… Looks like you aren't just all talk after all."

"I'm glad to have proven you wrong," she replied as cordially she could manage, trying to hide the irritation in her voice.

"It was a nice show you put on, but it's time for my finale!" he said with blistering confidence. "Now I draw!"

 **Turn 4**

 **Mieru: 2600 LP, Hand: 1**

 **Sawatari: 3100 LP, Hand: 2**

The instant Sawatari started his turn, Mieru took off like a shot, as she knew the field well enough to the point where she knew where every Action Card was hidden. And although there were some Action Traps snuck in, she had no doubt her crystal apple would steer her in the right direction.

"You can run for now, but you won't get far from Super Hyper New Neo Sawatari's onslaught!" he told her tauntingly, all the while assessing his hand.

 _I can't beat her now, but I can set things up to weaken her field significantly,_ he determined.

"I'll kick things off by activating Abyss Actor – Curtain Raiser's Pendulum Ability. When I don't have any monsters on my field, I can summon it from my Pendulum Zone to my field," he began.

 **Abyss Actor – Curtain Raiser: Lvl 4, 1100 ATK, 1000 DEF, Fiend, PS: 7, Effect, DARK**

"Next I'll rebuild my Pendulum Scale using Scale 8 Abyss Actor – Funky Comedian, which I just drew. Now I can summon monsters from Levels 4 through 7 simultaneously. So for an encore performance, I'm bringing back Leading Lady and Wild Hope from my Extra Deck! And joining them will be the primetime showstopper, Abyss Actor – Superstar!"

 **Abyss Actor – Wild Hope: Lvl 4, 1700 ATK, 1000 DEF, Fiend, PS: 2, Effect, DARK**

 **Abyss Actor – Leading Lady: Lvl 4, 1500 ATK, 1000 DEF, Fiend, PS: 2, Effect, DARK**

 **Abyss Actor – Superstar: Lvl 7, 2500 ATK, 1800 DEF, Fiend, PS: 3, Effect, DARK**

"Superstar's special ability lets me add one Abyss Script from my deck to my hand. Now I'll add Abyss Script –"

Mieru ended her fruitless search, interrupting Sawatari before he could make good on his words. "Hold it! I play my trap: Fated Seal of The Witch! As long as I have a Prediction Princess on the field, this trap prevents both of us from adding cards to our hands outside of the draw phase!"

"So you went for an Action Card when my turn started knowing you'd activate that trap soon," Sawatari realized, cracking a smile once he realized he had foiled that part of her plan. "It makes no difference though, I'll just destroy your monsters to get rid of it then. And I'll do that with the help of Funky Comedian's Pendulum Ability. Once per turn, I can return one Abyss Actor to my Extra Deck and give its attack points to another. So, Curtain Raiser, we're bringing down the curtain on you to buff up our main man Superstar."

 **Abyss Actor – Superstar: 2500 + 1100 = 3600 ATK**

"Abyss Actor – Superstar, attack and destroy Prediction Princess Necromedea!" His ace monster began the battle phase, Mieru unable to counter.

 **Mieru: 2600 – 1200 = 1400 LP**

"And now, I activate Leading Lady's special ability! Once during battle, I can reduce one of your monster's attack points by the amount of battle damage inflicted this turn. I'm afraid Chronolight's going to be losing 1200 attack points!" Sawatari revealed.

 **Prediction Princess Chronolight: 2700 – 1200 = 1500 ATK**

"Wild Hope, finish off Mieru's monster and any chance she had of winning this duel!" Sawatari ordered. Just as before, Mieru's monster was completely vulnerable and promptly got destroyed.

 **Mieru: 1400 – 100 = 1300 LP**

"That was a great maneuver by Sawatari! He utilized all his monsters to their full capacity, and poor Mieru couldn't do a thing to stop it!" Melissa said a bit gloomily, somewhat unimpressed by Ritual Summoning as of the moment.

 _I could attack her facedown monster, but…_ Sawatari didn't want to risk it; after all, she had tributed a monster to summon it, so it must've had a decent amount of defense points.

Meanwhile, despite the predicament she found herself in, Mieru didn't appear rattled. "My monsters can't be eliminated that easily, just watch. I activate Prediction Princess Necromedea's ability from my graveyard! Drawing upon its powers among the fallen, I'll let it take one for the team and banish it, allowing me to resurrect another monster from my graveyard with an equal or lower level. Return to the field, Prediction Princess Chronolight!"

 **Prediction Princess Chronolight: Lvl 7, (2300 + 500) = 2800 ATK, 1500 DEF, Fairy, Ritual, Effect, DARK**

"Tch, so you managed to bring it back," Sawatari grumbled. "Looks like I'm ending my turn then, Superstar's attack points are returning to normal now."

 **Abyss Actor – Superstar: 4100 – 1600 = 2500 ATK**

"Looks like I managed to survive your best shot," Mieru said with a shrug, to which Sawatari gave her an annoyed glare. "I draw!"

 **Turn 5**

 **Mieru: 1300 LP, Hand: 2**

 **Sawatari: 3100 LP, Hand: 0**

"First, I'll flip over my facedown monster, Prediction Princess Crystaldine, into attack mode, triggering its flip effect. Now I can add a Ritual monster from my deck to my hand!" she began.

 **Prediction Princess Crystaldine: Lvl 5, 1400 ATK, 2200 DEF, Fairy, Flip, Effect, WATER**

 **Mieru's hand: 3**

"Next, I activate Prediction Princess Chronolight's ability once more! I send my Ritual spell: Prediction Ritual to the graveyard to summon my Ritual monster! I tribute Level 5 Crystaldine and Level 4 Arrowsylph to Ritual Summon! Priestess of ancient times who foresees all! With the ancient inscriptions of past times, be revived! Appear, Level 9 Prediction Princess Tarotrei!

 **Prediction Princess Tarotrei: Lvl 9, (2700 + 300) = 3000 ATK, 1200 DEF, Fairy, Ritual, Effect, LIGHT**

I'll follow that up by playing my equip spell: Magnified Ruin. By equipping this card onto Tarotrei, every time your monster's attack points drop, you'll be taking that change as damage as well!" Mieru continued, Tarotrei now holding a shattered mirror with hundreds of fragmented reflections of Sawatari and his monsters being shown in each shard.

"To make good use of it, I'll activate Evil Eyed Deterrent's effect from the graveyard once more! I banish Prediction Ritual to lower your Leading Lady's attack points by 300, and consequentially, your life points by the same amount as well!" As the unsettling set of eyes emerged from the graveyard to glare at Sawatari's monster once more, Magnified Ruin also managed to capture the image, reflecting it to Sawatari in turn, who grew quite unsettled by it.

 **Abyss Actor – Leading Lady: 1500 – 300 = 1200 ATK**

 **Sawatari: 3100 – 300 = 2800 LP**

"The time is now! Prediction Princess Chronolight, attack Abyss Actor – Leading Lady with Bolts of Misfortune!" Mieru declared.

 **Sawatari: 2800 – 1600 = 1200 LP**

"One last attack! Tarotrei, lock in on Wild Hope! Shattered Shards of Devastation!"

With no cards in his hand, no set cards on his field, and being unable to add Action Cards to his hand, there was nothing Sawatari could do but laugh at the situation. At least his ace monster would still be standing in the aftermath of it all.

 **Sawatari: 1200 – 1400 = 0 LP**

"In a glorious come from behind victory, it's Mieru Houchun pulling out the victory!" Nico roared in approval, the crowd also cheering once they processed what had just happened.

"Unbelievable! Mieru finishes the duel with a double dose of Rituals, what a turnaround! Whatever her previous loss was like, this certainly makes up for it!" Melissa exclaimed in excitement.

"I… I did it," Mieru said, she herself in disbelief at her victory. "I WON!"

Sawatari groaned, the impact of the hit having left some bruises on his back. "Ugh, that's gonna leave a mark," he said, wincing slightly. Nevertheless, he didn't want to be a sore loser over the result like the Sawatari of old would've been, instead heading over to congratulate Mieru, who was now riding a wave of jubilation and euphoria.

"Nice job out there," he said sincerely, holding out his hand for her to shake.

"Oh… uh, thanks," Mieru replied, caught off guard by the sudden praise.

"No, thank _you_ , Mieru," the girl shot Sawatari a look of confusion as he explained, "You showed me I've got a long way to go myself before becoming the world's greatest duelist. I can't just rely on Pendulum, not when there's still so much out there beyond it…"

"Well—"

He interjected before she could get a word in edgewise. "All this time, I've been focusing on how to surpass people like Yuya, when I really should've been looking to surpass myself first. Maybe expanding more to the Extra Deck would be a start."

She nodded in approval, though she was unsure what she could say in response to Sawatari's epiphany. "That'd be good. Maybe you could pick up Fusion like I did."

A shadow of a smile crept up the entertainer's face. "Maybe I could," he responded, his face scrunched up in thought before he changed the subject. "Good luck against Kurosaki, believe me, you'll need it."

"But he hasn't—"

"Oh, believe me, he's winning his duel, without question."

Before Mieru could reply, Nico interrupted with an announcement of his own. "And now everyone, it's time for the final duel of the quarterfinals, featuring Shun Kurosaki of the Xyz Dimension and an esteemed Lancer, facing off against Hokuto Shijima of the Leo Institute! Mieru, Shingo, please clear the field as we get set for these two Xyz heavyweights to clash in battle!"

As Mieru made her way back to her seat, she scoured the area for Yuya, her eyes eventually meeting his across the arena. The boy gave her a thumbs up and a bright smile that was almost enough to make her faint on the spot, but she was able to maintain her composure momentarily and return the gesture before collapsing into her seat in a heap.

Without question, it felt like the best day of her life by far; nothing would ever make her forget this moment, she would treasure it forever.

* * *

 **Yuya loses his cool a bit this chapter, gets some talking to's, and is still trying to come to terms with everything that's happened. Kurosaki and the other Lancers are ranging from mildly annoyed to pissed at our resident tomato head for withholding information, but ultimately accept it in a begrudging manner.**

 **Too much love for Mieru this chapter? Probably, but hey, I'm just fulfilling her potential as a character the anime didn't capitalize on. I thought her learning Fusion Summoning after her duel with Yuya was a nice touch, but you guys can let me know how I did regarding her development and whatnot. A lot of OC cards for her, mainly relating to luck/fortune telling techniques (i.e Necromancy, Chronomancy, broken mirrors), as well as another Ritual searcher and some new spell/trap cards that synergize decently well. Also, with this result, yes, it does mean that Sawatari still hasn't won a 1v1 duel, had to end the duel that way just to keep the streak going. :P**

* * *

 **OC Cards**

 **Abyss Script – Burning Flare (Normal Spell)**

 **Gives your monsters the ability to deal damage to opponents if their monsters are in defense mode, also all your opponents' monsters lose 300 defense points.**

* * *

 **Clairvoyant Sanctuary (Field Spell)**

 **If you control a Prediction Princess monster at the end phase of your turn, you can draw one card from your deck. All Ritual monsters gain 300 attack points while this field spell is active.**

* * *

 **Evil Eyed Deterrent (Trap Card)**

 **Target one monster on your field. For every other spell/trap card that was activated this turn, you can negate the destruction of this monster via card effects or battle an equal number of times. If this card is in your graveyard, once per turn, you can banish all other spell cards in your graveyard, and if you do, target one monster on your opponent's field: It loses 300 attack and defense points for each card banished.**

* * *

 **Prediction Princess Shadow Wisp (Flip Effect Monster)**

 **Lvl 4, 1200 ATK, 1000 DEF, Fairy, Flip, Effect, DARK**

 **You can pay 500 Life Points and discard one card from your hand to flip this card from facedown defense mode to faceup attack mode on the turn you set this card. If you do, you can add one Ritual spell from your deck to your hand.**

* * *

 **Calamity Ritual (Ritual Spell)**

 **Used to summon "Prediction Princess Chronolight".**

* * *

 **Prediction Princess Chronolight (Ritual Monster)**

 **Lvl 7, 2200 ATK, 1500 DEF, Fairy, Ritual, Effect, DARK**

 **Summoning Requirements: Calamity Ritual, monsters whose total levels equal or exceed 7.**

 **A monster that can transcend time itself. Once during your turn, you can send one spell card from your deck to the graveyard and activate its effect.**

* * *

 **Distorted Fusion (Fusion Spell)**

 **You can Fusion Summon using monsters in your graveyard, but those monsters are banished after this effect concludes.**

* * *

 **Prediction Princess Necromedea (Fusion Monster)**

 **Lvl 7, 2300 ATK, 1000 DEF, Fairy, Fusion, Effect, DARK**

 **Fusion Summoning Requirements: 2 Fairy type, DARK attributed monsters**

 **If this monster is in your graveyard, you can banish it and summon another monster to your field that's also in your graveyard with an equal or lower level. Additional effects that haven't been revealed yet.**

* * *

 **Fated Seal of the Witch (Continuous, Activation Requirement, Trap Card)**

 **If you control a Prediction Princess, you can activate this card. All players are no longer allowed to add cards to their hands outside of the draw phase. If you don't control any Prediction Princesses and this card is active, destroy this card.**

* * *

 **Magnified Ruin (Equip Spell)**

 **You can equip this card onto one of your monsters, and if you do, each time your opponent's monster's attack points decrease, you can inflict damage to your opponent equal to the change in the monster's attack points.**

* * *

 **Not really much else for me to say, if you've stuck around this long, just know I'm grateful for the support and always will be. :) Also, the next chapter** **should** **be out in about one to two weeks, but I can't necessarily guarantee anything at the moment.**

 **Take care avid readers,**

 **-BasketballIsFun**


	6. The Road To Recovery

**I have returned! Sorry about this chapter being a bit late, been dealing with school stuff recently, but writing this is always a nice reprieve from that life. Thank you to Green Phantom Queen and Ghostkid33 for reviewing last chapter, you guys have been great constants on my every update, much love to you two! Anyway, here's the next chapter, h** **opefully you all enjoy!**

* * *

Yuya looked onward as the impending duel was set to get underway; excited, but also nervous for what was to come of it. He snuck a look at Kurosaki—the Raidraptor user had a cold, hardened look in his eye, one that became a lot less frequent over time since the older boy's duel against Sora that had completely blitzed the Heartland Action Field by the very end. Why was he being so cold now? Because he subconsciously knew deep down that Yuto and Ruri were gone, despite his altered memories saying otherwise? A simple matter of emptiness in his heart? Or was it something else, just a general sense of loss?

" _I think you're right on, Yuya,_ " one of his counterparts—Yuto—said. He had to refrain from flinching out of his seat, still not completely used to speaking with three other people in his mind, though his initial reaction had already raised some eyebrows from the people around him, notably his parents.

He took a moment to compose himself mentally before replying, _"What do you mean, Yuto?_

" _Back at home, Ruri and I were always Shun's anchor. Sure, he had other friends like Kaito, but he never really forged the same kinds of bonds with them like he did with us. So when Ruri was taken… well, you remember how he lashed out in Standard, right?"_ Yuya nodded, briefly filling in the other counterparts about Shun's carding spree of people at LDS before Yuto continued, _"And of course, when I merged with Yuya, I think the only thing keeping him sane was knowing I lived on through you."_

" _You know, that's a totally sweet story about friendship and all, but I'm not sure what exactly you're getting at here,"_ Yuri interrupted.

Yuto sighed out of slight exasperation before elaborating, _"What I'm saying is that maybe he doesn't realize it yet, but Ruri and I not being here is probably killing him mentally. I just hope he doesn't go off into the deep end because of that."_

" _Shun's been without you two for a while now, always fighting to end the war. I'm sure he won't just give up now,"_ Yuya said reassuringly.

" _I know, the thing is though, that was during the war, when he had that constant desire to end it driving him. Every day, there was always something to keep his mind occupied, distracted from all the loss. But now that it's over, he's going to have to face it all head-on. I just hope there's something motivating him to keep going forward now,"_ Yuto replied with a sigh.

" _Heartland,"_ Yuya said simply.

" _What?"_

" _Heartland, Yuto. That's what should be driving Shun right now. All the people who got uncarded, helping everyone move past the invasion, rebuilding the city…"_ Yuya flashed a smile at his Xyz counterpart. _"He'll pull through, and hopefully with you and Ruri in the picture soon enough."_

" _You're right, Yuya,"_ Yuto said, returning the smile with his one of his own. _"Shun's strong, if anyone could find the will to keep on going, it's him."_

" _Huh, Heartland,"_ Yugo jumped into the conversation, though the other three were surprised it didn't happen sooner. _"You know, I've never been there outside of that time I tried to jump Yuto with the whole mistaken identity thing. Maybe we could visit someday."_

" _Yeah, maybe that'll clear up the whole "Pawn of Fusion" thing. Yuto, just how many people did you—"_ Yuya stopped midsentence, his eyes fleeting to his Extra Deck that was shining once more, though fortunately the light was fairly dim when he noticed. _"Um, guys, what's going on?"_

Yugo noticed the glow, his face instantly paling. _"Aw crap, it must be Clear Wing again! Seriously, not the time for this!"_ Fortunately, the Synchro dragon heeded Yugo's words, the light dissipating quickly before it became noticeable to anyone else in the area.

" _I think your dragon's just messing with us now,"_ Yuri said with a faux expression of hurt.

" _Well, it may have a good reason for that,"_ Yugo replied, looking pointedly at his Fusion counterpart.

" _You two can save the disputes for later, let's just focus on the duel for now,"_ Yuto chided.

" _Or… we'll just keep it private. Have fun you two!"_ With that, Yuri and Yugo's presence faded considerably, the two having retreated to the inner depths of Yuya's mind to settle whatever ongoing feud they were having.

At that, Yuya breathed a sigh of relief, glad they were settling the argument elsewhere. He could finally focus on two Xyz duelists sizing each other up on the duel field, and as he expected, Hokuto was already talking nonstop.

"You know, I never really put it together before, but if you're from the Xyz Dimension, how'd you even get into LDS?" the Constellar user inquired.

"It was a mutual agreement," Shun said simply.

"You've been here the past year though, must've been a hell of an arrangement," Hokuto pointed out.

Shun was slightly confused, then remembered how Hokuto and the LDS students he dueled had their memories changed after he had dueled them, to give them the illusion he had always been a student. "Reiji had me pose undercover for a year to gain intel on this dimension. There, does that satisfy you?"

"Not quite, how—"

"Let's go already!" he interrupted impatiently.

"Alright, sheesh, no need to blow a gasket," Hokuto remarked. "Save that for the actual duel."

"Duelists locked into battle!" Hokuto began, only to be met by Kurosaki's trademark stoic face. "Um, aren't you going to finish the chant?" Silence.

"Whatever, let's just duel then," he conceded, engaging his duel disk.

 **Turn 1**

 **Shun: 4000 LP, Hand: 5**

 **Hokuto: 4000 LP, Hand: 5**

"I think I'll go first!" the Raidraptor user declared.

"Even after you refused to say the chant?" Hokuto said, looking towards Nico Smiley and Melissa Claire in the commentary booth. "Shouldn't he automatically forfeit the right to first because of that?"

"To start, I'll summon Raidraptor – Vanishing Lanius in attack mode," Shun continued dueling, as if he hadn't even heard Hokuto. "Then from my hand, I'm allowed to treat my Retrofit Lanius as another Raidraptor. I'm treating it as another Vanishing Lanius, allowing me to summon it."

 **Raidraptor – Vanishing Lanius: Lvl 4, 1300 ATK, 1600 DEF, Winged Beast, Effect, DARK**

 **Raidraptor – Retrofit Lanius (treated as Vanishing Lanius): Lvl 4, 800 ATK, 1200 DEF, Winged Beast, Effect, DARK**

"Hey, doesn't this look a bit familiar to you?" Sawatari commented, recognizing the setup.

"Yeah, last time Kurosaki used those monsters, things didn't turn out so well," Gongenzaka replied, recalling the duel Shun had against Kaito, the disdain the Cipher user had for what was admittedly a poor play summoning Rise Falcon on his first turn.

"When I Xyz Summon, Retrofit Lanius counts as two monsters! With this one monster, I build the Overlay Network! Hunter of the night, seek truth through the darkness, and grasp glory with your sharp talons ready for the rebellion! Take flight, Raidraptor – Force Strix!" Shun chanted.

 **Raidraptor – Force Strix: Rank 4, 100 ATK, 2000 DEF, Winged Beast, Xyz, OLU: 1, Effect, DARK (Defense Mode)**

"Looks like he's learned from his mistakes," Gongenzaka said, glad he hadn't tried to summon Rise Falcon, especially when considering how some of Hokuto's monsters would instantly counteract it.

"Force Strix gains 500 attack and defense points for every other Raidraptor I have on my field," Shun stated.

 **Raidraptor – Force Strix: 100 + 500 = 600 ATK, 2000 + 500 = 2500 DEF**

"My birds never fly alone though. I activate Force Strix's special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, I can add a Raidraptor from my deck to my hand if it's Level 4 or below. I'm choosing Raidraptor – Fuzzy Lanius," Shun continued. "And since Vanishing Lanius is on the field, I can summon Fuzzy Lanius straight to the field!"

 **Raidraptor – Fuzzy Lanius: Lvl 4, 500 ATK, 1500 DEF, Winged Beast, Effect, DARK (Defense Mode)**

 **Raidraptor – Force Strix: 600 + 500 = 1100 ATK, 2500 + 500 = 3000 DEF, OLU: 0**

"Kurosaki's got a nice defense set up, let's see how this other Xyz user responds to it," Melissa remarked, eager to see another different summoning user in action.

"I'll place two cards facedown and end my turn," Shun concluded, stoic as ever.

"Looks like it's my turn then," Hokuto said, unfazed by his demeanour. "I draw!"

 **Turn 2**

 **Shun: 4000 LP, Hand: 1**

 **Hokuto: 4000 LP, Hand: 6**

"Since you have a monster on your field and I don't, I'm allowed to summon Constellar Siat from my hand to the field!" Hokuto began. "And I'll double the trouble by bringing out Constellar Pollux to join it!"

 **Constellar Siat: Lvl 1, 100 ATK, 1600 DEF, Fairy, Effect, LIGHT**

 **Constellar Pollux: Lvl 4, 1700 ATK, 600 DEF, Warrior, Effect, LIGHT**

"Pollux allows me to make another normal summon this turn. With it, I'll bring out Constellar Leonis! And with _its_ ability, I can once again normal summon another monster! I'd like to introduce you to Constellar Sheratan!" Hokuto continued swarming his field with no end in sight. "And with Sheratan's ability, I can add another Constellar monster from my deck to my hand! I'm choosing Constellar Kaus!"

 **Constellar Leonis: Lvl 3, 1000 ATK, 1800 DEF, Beast, Effect, LIGHT**

 **Constellar Sheratan: Lvl 3, 700 ATK, 1900 DEF, Beast, Effect, LIGHT**

 **Hokuto's hand: 3**

"Now it's time I do a little Xyz summoning of my own! I overlay Level 3 Constellar Leonis and Sheratan in order to build the Overlay Network! Your Raidraptors may be able to master the skies, but can they rise to meet the stars? We'll see. I now Xyz Summon, Rank 3 Constellar Hyades!"

 **Constellar Hyades: Rank 3, 1900 ATK, 1100 DEF, Beast-Warrior, Xyz, OLU: 2, Effect, LIGHT**

"I'm not done yet though, next I activate Constellar Siat's ability! It can change its level to match that of a monster I control or one in my graveyard. Siat's now becoming Level 4, the same as Pollux!"

 **Constellar Siat: Lvl 1 to 4**

"That lets me Xyz Summon once again! I overlay Level 4 Constellar Pollux and Siat to build the Overlay Network again! Be prepared for this mystical monster who draws its power from the cosmos, shining ever so brightly! I Xyz Summon, Rank 4 Constellar Praesepe!"

 **Constellar Praesepe: Rank 4, 2400 ATK, 800 DEF, Machine, Xyz, OLU: 2, Effect, LIGHT**

"Now, Constellar Hyades, attack Raidraptor – Vanishing Lanius with Cosmic Sword Slash!" Hokuto commanded, his monster charging in.

Shun frowned inwardly; he had been hoping he could hold out long enough to bring out another monster and summon Rise Falcon next turn, but that didn't seem to be the case. "I activate my quick-play spell: Raidraptor – Rapid Xyz! It lets me Xyz summon using monsters I control during battle! I overlay Raidraptor – Vanishing Lanius and Fuzzy Lanius to build the Overlay Network! And now I Xyz Summon a second Raidraptor – Force Strix! And thanks to its effect, it gains 500 attack and defense points with the other Force Strix on my field!"

 **Raidraptor – Force Strix (#2): Rank 4, (100 + 500) = 600 ATK, (2000 + 500) = 2500 DEF, Winged Beast, Xyz, OLU: 2, Effect, DARK (Defense Mode)**

 **Raidraptor – Force Strix (#1): 1100 – 500 = 600 ATK, 3000 – 500 = 2500 DEF**

"Not only that, Rapid Xyz also lets me use Force Strix's ability during battle! I detach an Overlay Unit from my new Force Strix to add another Level 4 or below Raidraptor to my hand! This time I'll be adding Raidraptor – Necro Vulture. So thanks for the help."

 **Shun's hand: 2**

"Grr, I'm… stopping my attack with Constellar Hyades then. But I still have one more monster that can! Constellar Praesepe, attack his new Force Strix! And by using an Overlay Unit, Praesepe gains 1000 attack points during battle. I may not be able to deal you damage but losing that monster will hurt!" Hokuto said tauntingly as his monster primed its attack.

 **Constellar Praesepe: 2400 + 1000 = 3400 ATK**

"I activate my other quick-play spell: Rank-Up Magic Escape Force! This spell negates our battle, and the Force Strix you tried to attack now ranks up!" Shun countered, the Overlay Network portal opening once more. "With Force Strix, I rebuild the Overlay Network! Terror of the skies, spread your wings and break through this fierce battle! Go, Rank Up Xyz Evolution! Arise, Rank 5 Raidraptor – Blaze Falcon!"

 **Raidraptor – Blaze Falcon: Rank 5, 1000 ATK, 2000 DEF, Winged Beast, Xyz, OLU: 2, Effect, DARK**

 **Constellar Praesepe: 3400 – 1000 = 2400 ATK**

"Seems like none of your plans worked out, huh?" Shun said with a scoff.

"Unbelievable! Kurosaki is simply relentless! He didn't give Hokuto even one opening there! What a tremendous defense!" Nico remarked.

"Wha…" Hokuto stood frozen momentarily, unsure how to respond. Once he realized he was being mocked however, he quickly argued his case. "Well, it's not like you didn't just get a perfect opening hand though! A card that lets you Xyz Summon on my turn? One that negates an attack _and_ ranks up your monster? I couldn't do anything about that no matter what card I drew!"

"It sounds like you need to get a better deck then instead of complaining about it," he replied noncommittally. "A good duelist always finds a way to make the most of his cards, which you clearly haven't done."

"This duel is a complete waste of time, I know it, you know it, everybody here knows it," Shun continued, glancing up to Reiji at his suite pointedly before turning his glare back to Hokuto. "Now end your turn so this farce can be over with."

"I-I end my turn w-with a facedown," Hokuto stammered, completely out of rhythm now.

"As I suspected. Not only has your dueling has become more predictable than last time, but it seems your skills have regressed as well," Shun said with a hint of disgust in his voice.

"L-last time? We never—"

"My turn! I DRAW!" he cut off the Constellar user before any further inquiries could be made.

 **Turn 3**

 **Shun: 4000 LP, Hand: 3**

 **Hokuto: 4000 LP, Hand: 2**

"I summon Raidraptor – Necro Vulture to the field in attack mode," Shun began, moving ever so methodically. "But it won't sticking around for long, because by tributing it, I can add Rank-Up-Magic Escape Force from my graveyard back to my hand. So you're going to have to deal with that once again. Then I switch Force Strix into attack mode."

 **Shun's hand: 3**

 **Force Strix: 2500 DEF to 600 ATK**

"Next I'm activating the equip spell: Raptor's Ultimate Mace onto Blaze Falcon! It gives it 1000 more attack points, setting things perfectly for this!

 **Raidraptor – Blaze Falcon: 1000 + 1000 = 2000 ATK**

With Blaze Falcon's special ability, by using one Overlay Unit, it destroys all your special summoned monsters and you take 500 points of damage for each one!" Shun declared, a hardened look in his eye. "Go, Blaze Falcon, eradicate the enemy! Fire on my command! NOW!"

* * *

Yuya watched the duel wide eyed, the parallels to Shun's duel with Sora startling. All the ruins, flames all around the Action Field… He wanted to call out to Shun, find a way to bring him back from his precipice emotionally speaking, but didn't out of fear. Fear that he'd only aggravate the Raidraptor user further; after all, he suspected he was one of the reasons Shun was blowing off steam considering their confrontation the previous day. Still, he couldn't bear to watch Shun duel out of such anger, so Yuya did the only thing he could think of in the moment.

He ran off without a word to anyone else, simply taking off towards the nearest exit, much to his counterparts' scorn. Their commentary filled his head as he ran through the corridor leading to the main lobby.

" _Oh, come on, the duel was just getting exciting too,"_ Yuri pouted.

" _I hate to agree with him, but he does have a point,"_ Yugo chimed in, much to the former counterpart's surprise. _"Why'd you just run out, Yuya?"_

" _Shun… the way he was dueling… so much anger… I've seen it all before,"_ he told them, closing his eyes solemnly. _"And…"_ Sadness filled him then, and Yuya couldn't find the words to articulate what he wanted to say.

" _I think what Yuya's trying to say is that now that the war's over, he was hoping Shun was show a little more restraint, duel less intensely now that nothing's on the line,"_ Yuto explained. _"But Yuya, you have to remember, Shun's seen enough destruction to last a lifetime, several lifetimes in fact. You can't just expect all that pain to go away and his dueling style to change just after it all ended."_

" _I know, it's just that Shun's come so far… I've seen him genuinely happy at times, or at least enough to smile. He's not alone in this, he never was and never will be. I just hate to see him like this, especially after all we've been through…"_ Yuya lamented.

" _Look I don't know the guy that well—"_ Yugo began.

" _And I don't know him at all,"_ Yuri interrupted with a shrug.

"— _outside of what I saw from him in the Friendship Cup. But you all remember his duel with Dennis, right?"_ Everyone nodded, even Yuri, who had heard a second-hand account of it at Duel Academy, where Shun finished the duel by blasting the Fusion spy from the stratosphere with his monster. _"The way he reacted, it seemed pretty obvious to me he had issues, even before I knew what he went through. He may hide it behind a smile sometimes Yuya, but he's hurting on the inside. He will for a long time, I bet."_

" _If dueling's the way he's going to vent, there could be worse ways,"_ Yuri chimed in, receiving pointed looks from his counterparts before explaining further. _"I mean, considering the fact he doesn't have a monster that's capable of merging with others and destroying the world, he can't do too much harm at least."_

" _Yeah… but those attacks still hurt though, especially when he puts all that emotion into them,"_ Yuya shuddered, recalling how Sora had to be taken to the hospital after his duel with Shun.

" _Well then, we better get back to the duel then to make sure he doesn't,"_ Yuto decided.

" _Yeah, you said it yourself Yuya, he's not alone here. Go back and be one of those friends supporting him,"_ Yugo agreed.

" _It would be a bit hypocritical if you didn't,"_ Yuri pointed out.

" _You're right guys, alright let's—"_

"Wait!" A voice called out, snapping Yuya out of his mental conversation. He spun his head around to locate the source of it, audibly gasping when he saw who it came from.

"It's you…"

* * *

Meanwhile with the duel, Hokuto was scrambling around the field for an Action Card, desperate to escape Blaze Falcon's fury as the monster shot several mini lasers at his monsters.

"I activate the Action Spell: Mirror Barrier! It stops one of my monsters from being destroyed through an effect! So Constellar Praesepe is safe!" Hokuto boasted, though he couldn't say the same for his other monster.

 **Hokuto: 4000 – 500 = 3500 LP**

"Kurosaki, I thought we discussed this! There are children here!" Nico Smiley exclaimed, noting all the carnage from Blaze Falcon's effect.

He only acknowledged Nico's comment with a nod, before turning back to Hokuto. "How naïve, did you forget that Blaze Falcon can attack my opponent directly?" Kurosaki's monster closed the gap quickly, too quick for Hokuto, who didn't time to even think about getting an Action Card as the bird's wings clipped him.

 **Hokuto: 3500 – 2000 = 1500 LP**

"And since Blaze Falcon dealt you battle damage, it automatically destroys your Praesepe!" Missile-like projectiles shot out from Blaze Falcon, wiping out Hokuto's last monster.

When the dust settled from the now slightly charred Action Field, Hokuto was—of all things—smiling for some reason, despite the predicament he found himself in.

"Do you think this is funny?" Shun had a dangerous look in his eye as he spoke.

Hokuto held up his hands in surrender, the sly grin still not leaving his face. "No, no, the duel itself has quite the intensity to it. The funny part about it is _you._ "

"What did you say?" Shun was furious; the crowd was appalled by Hokuto's words.

"You say that I've regressed as a duelist, that I've become predictable. Well, you've done the same thing as a matter of fact," Hokuto said, smirking even more now.

"How's that?" The words were simple yet menacing coming from Shun.

"Your anger for one thing, it's not just your monsters causing all this with their attacks, it's _you._ You're not thinking straight. I mean, look at what you've done to this Action Field," Hokuto pointed out, gesturing towards the burnt infrastructure. "Seem familiar?"

Shun's heart skipped a beat; he knew instantly what he was referring to: Heartland. During the war, desecrating an area like this was a small price to pay to avoid being carded, it was a matter of survival of the fittest. But during this duel… a friendly one by all means, he had simply reverted to such measures by instinct. Was it a subconscious hate still driving him to do so? Was he truly embodying such violence and destruction now, allowing it to _become_ him? He remembered telling Kaito almost the exact same thing, and yet here he was ordering his monsters to bombard the Action Field without thinking twice about it.

Sure, he had felt oddly empty when Zarc had been defeated, knowing he'd have to face all the aftermath in Heartland head-on. But there was also… something else that was missing, he felt. Something he couldn't quite put a finger on, nagging him to no end. When he had confronted Yuya with Gongenzaka and Sawatari about whatever secret he was keeping, it only further ignited his suspicions about things being off.

 _Is that it?_ he wondered. _Am I letting my anger get the best of me just because of a hunch?_

Shun let out a reluctant sigh; though he hated to admit it, Hokuto was right. His heart _was_ in this duel, but for the wrong reasons, a reason that he in fact wasn't sure of himself. "I suppose you may have a point," he conceded, before immediately putting him on the defensive again. "But at the same time, maybe you should stop making up excuses for why you're losing."

"What?" Hokuto paled slightly, flabbergasted by his last few words.

"My monsters and their devastating attacks, they represent my hardened spirit during the war. The passion I fight with to bring my comrades back. I can't change that right now. But maybe over time, I can. After all, monsters do represent a duelist's true feelings," Shun explained with a solemn look on his face. "Anyhow, you've seen me duel before, seen how my monsters act in battle. None of this should be a surprise. So quit acting like a wimp and just duel."

"I… well, if you insist, then I will," Hokuto replied, recovering quickly from the jab. "I activate the trap: Xyz Reborn! This card lets me revive Constellar Praesepe from my graveyard, and not only that, this card also becomes its Overlay Unit!"

 **Constellar Praesepe: Rank 4, 2400 ATK, 800 DEF, Machine, Xyz, OLU: 1, Effect, LIGHT**

"Not bad," Shun acknowledged, realizing he may have had more fight in him after all. "In that case, I'll end my turn with two facedowns. It's your move."

"And what a move it will be! Now I draw!" Hokuto declared, his confidence quickly returning.

 **Turn 4**

 **Shun: 4000 LP, Hand: 1**

 **Hokuto: 1500 LP, Hand: 3**

"Ah ha, good. I activate another great spell: Monster Reborn, and with it, I can bring back Constellar Siat from my graveyard!"

 **Constellar Siat: Lvl 1, 100 ATK, 1600 DEF, Fairy, Effect, LIGHT**

"Then I summon Constellar Sombre in attack mode and activate its ability! By banishing one Constellar monster in my graveyard, I can return another one there to my hand. I banish Constellar Aldebaran to add Constellar Pollux back to my hand."

 **Constellar Sombre: Lvl 4, 1550 ATK, 1600 DEF, Fairy, Effect, LIGHT**

 **Hokuto's hand: 2**

"And since I did that, I can make another normal summon this turn! Return to the field, Constellar Pollux! And it of course lets me normal summon again too, so I'll choose to summon Constellar Kaus from my hand!" Hokuto continued to swarm his field once again.

 **Constellar Pollux: Lvl 4, 1700 ATK, 600 DEF, Warrior, Effect, LIGHT**

 **Constellar Kaus: Lvl 4, 1800 ATK, 700 DEF, Beast-Warrior, Effect, LIGHT**

Seeing the setup, Shun instinctively hitched a ride on Blaze Falcon to find an Action Card to protect himself before things heated up.

"No need to run, there's no escaping this," Hokuto said smugly. "I activate Siat's special ability, changing its level from 1 to 4, the same as Sombre's!"

 **Constellar Siat: Lvl 1 to 4**

"Now I overlay Level 4 Siat and Sombre to build the Overlay Network! Proud warrior of light, guided by the mystic powers that watch over from above, become one with the powers to vanquish those who oppose! I Xyz Summon, Rank 4 Constellar Omega!"

 **Constellar Omega: Rank 4, 2400 ATK, 500 DEF, Beast-Warrior, Xyz, OLU: 2, Effect, LIGHT**

"Another Rank 4?" Shun asked in surprise, still perched on Blaze Falcon to find an Action Card.

"That's right and there's more to come! I activate Kaus's ability! Twice per turn, it can raise the Level of one monster on my field by one! I'll raise it and Pollux to Level 5!" he continued.

 **Constellar Pollux: 4 + 1 = Lvl 5**

 **Constellar Kaus: 4 + 1 = Lvl 5**

"Now I overlay Level 5 Constellar Pollux and Kaus in order to Xyz Summon once more! Light of the stars, forged by the legendary powers of the cosmos itself, descend and shake this very earth! I Xyz Summon, Rank 5 Constellar Pleiades!"

 **Constellar Pleiades: Rank 5, 2500 ATK, 1500 DEF, Warrior, Xyz, OLU: 2, Effect, LIGHT**

"I activate Omega's special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, my Constellar monsters currently on the field can't be affected by any Spell or Trap Cards! That'll work well with Pleiades's ability! Once per turn, by using one of _its_ Overlay Unit, I can return your one of your monsters back to your hand, or in this case, your Extra Deck! Remove Blaze Falcon from play!" Hokuto commanded.

 **Constellar Omega: OLU: 1**

 **Constellar Pleiades: OLU: 1**

"I don't think so! I activate the Action Spell: Guard Cover! This card targets my monster, not yours, so I can activate it! It lets Force Strix come in and take your monster's ability in Blaze Falcon's place!" Shun countered, his weaker monster being returned to his Extra Deck instead.

"It doesn't matter, because I have three monsters to your one now! And you can't activate your Rank-Up Magic card to save it this time thanks to Constellar Omega's ability! I'll give it the pleasure of defeating your monster! Constellar Omega, attack Blaze Falcon!" Hokuto commanded.

"Not happening! I send Raidraptor – Booster Strix from my hand to the graveyard to activate its ability! It lets my Blaze Falcon use an Overlay Unit to negate your attack!" Shun declared.

 **Shun's hand: 0**

 **Raidraptor – Blaze Falcon: OLU: 0**

"Lucky you had that card," Hokuto grumbled. "I'll attack Blaze Falcon again with Constellar Pleiades this time!" Pleiades started its attack, preparing to slash Shun's monster to defeat it for good.

"Since Blaze Falcon is equipped with Raptor's Ultimate Mace, when it's attacked by a monster with higher attack points, I can reduce the battle damage to zero!" Shun retorted, his monster destroyed by Pleiades's sword, but his life points secure. "And I can add a Rank-Up-Magic card to my hand when Raptor's Ultimate Mace is destroyed while it's equipped to a monster. I add Rank-Up-Magic Raptor's Force to my hand."

 **Shun's hand: 1**

"Yeah, but you can't activate that card! Your field's wide open and I still have one monster that can attack!" Hokuto pointed out, looking for an Action Card that would turn the tide of battle. "I activate the Action Spell: High Dive! It gives Constellar Praesepe 1000 extra attack points until the end of this turn! Praesepe, attack Kurosaki directly, and use an Overlay Unit so you gain 1000 more attack points! You're finished!"

 **Constellar Praesepe: 2400 + 1000 + 1000 = 4400 ATK**

"Predictable," Shun said simply.

"What?"

"I expected you to go all out, but did you really expect me not to have a backup plan?" he asked pointedly. "I activate my trap: Lightning Quick! This card lets me activate a Quick-Play Spell from my hand, and I just so happened to have added one right now. Go, Rank-Up-Magic Raptor's Force! It ranks up the Blaze Falcon you destroyed into a monster with a higher rank!" Shun revealed.

"Prideful falcon, spread your wings dyed in the blood of the fallen heroes! Advance through the path of revolution! Go, Rank-Up Xyz Evolution! Emerge, Raidraptor – Revolution Falcon!"

 **Raidraptor – Revolution Falcon: Rank 6, 2000 ATK, 2000 DEF, Winged Beast, Xyz, OLU: 1, Effect, DARK**

"When Revolution Falcon is summoned using Rank-Up-Magic, it automatically destroys one monster on your field, and you take damage equal to half its attack points **.** But of course, you knew that already, didn't you?" Shun said, noting Hokuto's trembling figure.

"Revolution Falcon, wipe out Constellar Praesepe and finish this duel! Embody the spirit of revolution itself, usher in a new era! Impose your will, make your mark and fire now! Revolution Falcon!" The monster revealed its missiles, directing all the payload directly at Hokuto's one monster this time, who was brutally scorched, even Shun wincing slightly.

"Alright, that'll be enough," Shun said, stopping the bombardment. After all, Hokuto's life points still hit zero regardless of any further attacks.

 **Hokuto: 1500 – (4400/2) = 0 LP**

* * *

"Kaito? What are you doing here?" Yuya asked, trying to rationalize an explanation for his presence.

"Thought I'd pay a visit to go see one of my friends duel," the Cipher user replied, pointing to one of the TV screens showing Kurosaki's duel. "But it's good timing that I ran into you here, I'm supposed to give you something."

Kaito pulled out a heart shaped card—an invitation of some sort?—handing it over to Yuya. "What is it?" the dueltainer asked, unsure why he felt apprehensive. Probably just an instinct by now.

"Open it up and find out yourself," Kaito told him. Yuya did, reading through the card which contained a short message, stating he was invited to a festival to commemorate the rebuilding process of Heartland in a few days. Apparently, he had been one of the "select few" who had been invited from outside the city.

"Whoa… Kaito, this is pretty big. Y-you have no idea how much this means to me, thank you," Yuya told him with as much sincerity as he could muster.

"Well don't thank me, thank the committee. It was their idea. They're almost finished rebuilding the tower, should be having the reopening soon," Kaito said with a smile. "And this is just a rumor, but I heard they want you there to cut the ribbon."

Yuya gave him a look mixed with surprise and disbelief, to which Kaito argued his case. "You've earned it, if that's what you're thinking about. I mean, you saved our dimensions by fighting back against Zarc—"

"Only after becoming him," he pointed out.

"—and you've impacted so many people, including me," Kaito continued, not missing a beat. "Don't be afraid, just take a chance and do it."

"Wow… I just…" Yuya pondered what to do for a moment, though it didn't take long for him to think of his answer. "I'll do it! Only problem is, how do I get there?" He remembered the last fiasco he had with their Dimensionizers separating them in the Synchro Dimension. Clearly, they were a work in progress at the time, and they probably still were now.

Kaito had a blank look on his face before he realized what the issue was. "Oh right, that. Luckily, we heard about how far your dimension has to go in terms of perfecting interdimensional travel, so I got you something to help with that."

Kaito revealed an exact replica of his duel disk, right down to the curved, light blue blade, holding it out to Yuya, who was flummoxed by the offer. "Oh no, I-I can't just take it," he protested, knowing how much it defined him.

"It's no big deal, I've got five of them anyway," Kaito replied with a smile of his own to go with a nonchalant shrug, waiting for Yuya to take the gift.

"Well… okay then," Yuya took it with some reluctance at first, but that still didn't deter him from trying it on. "It's perfect. Thanks Kaito, you really went out of way to do this."

"It's no big deal. Anyway, I should get going. My father probably wants me back at the lab by now," he said, clicking the button for the dimensional travel program.

"I'll see you at the festival then."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that."

And with that, the Xyz duelist disappeared in a blinding light. When it finally dissipated, Yuya glanced up at the TV; Shun had finished his duel during their conversation.

" _Well, so much for that idea,"_ Yuri said, summing up the turn of events perfectly.

* * *

Hokuto was deflated by the loss, being unable to scrape even a single life point off Shun in the end, lying flat on his back as the Action Field powered down. To his surprise, a hand extended out to pull him up: Shun's.

"Not bad," he told the Constellar user.

"Not bad? I—"

"I know you lost, that's not the point. We all can improve as duelists. I'll admit though, you caught me off guard with the monsters you used today. Keep that up and you'll get better. The kind of effort you put into dueling, you can't teach that."

"What do you mean, 'caught me off guard?' We've been in class together for a year, you know my cards," Hokuto ignored the other points he made, zeroing in on that one comment.

Shun sighed; the lie was getting annoying to uphold, and truthfully, there was no reason for it anymore. "It caught me off guard because the truth is, I was never your classmate. I was inserted into LDS to gain intel, but not that long ago."

"B-but I remember—"

"You're remembering wrong, then!" he interrupted, before lowering his voice. "Listen, it's not really my story to tell, if you want details…" Kurosaki hesitated momentarily before caving in, "go to Reiji. He knows the whole story."

At that, Shun turned around before Hokuto could reply, heading back over to where Gongenzaka and Sawatari were sitting. While it had been a fairly easy duel for him—he hadn't used any monsters close to his most powerful—he had at least got something out of it, a message that he had emphasized previously, but had forgotten during the duel, with everything coming at him at once.

The power of friendship, the people around you. He realized now more than ever of their importance to him. All of them. Kaito, Allen, Sayaka, Sawatari, Gongenzaka, Crow, and of course, Yuya. He relied on them during hard times, it was only right that he would try and repay them, starting by letting go of his anger bit by bit to begin the path to recovery.

Once he made it off the field, Nico's voice boomed throughout the arena with an announcement, "Now then folks, this long ongoing tournament has been dragged out for quite some time now, so if the two duelists are willing to oblige, we'll begin the semifinals in just a short time! Yuya Sakaki and Noboru Gongenzaka highlight our first matchup, we'll begin shortly after a brief intermission!"

Kurosaki made it up the stairs to the steadfast duelist, who had a determined look on his face. "You ready, big guy?" he asked, his question met by a nod.

"Dueling's always been Yuya's lifeline during tough times. By dueling him, I'm sure we can speak to each other, and maybe I can better understand what he's going through," he replied resolutely.

"Well, don't put too much pressure on yourself Gongenzaka, we know how reserved Yuya can get if he doesn't want you to know something," Sawatari pointed out.

"I know, but…" Gongenzaka stood up. "I'll get through to him, one way or another!"

"And that's a promise!" he added as he headed down the stairs to the battlefield, fired up for the duel to come.

* * *

 **Well that concludes a strange chapter for me. Hokuto gets pummeled by Kurosaki (like anyone didn't see that coming), Yuya meets up with Kaito and gets a nice invitation for being an interdimensional hero, and that's basically it. Next chapter we've got the anticipated Gongenzaka vs Yuya duel, and I'll tell you right now, it's not going to be anything like the anime one, not that anyone's complaining I bet. Should be a lot of fun writing that one. :D**

 **Thanks to everyone for reading this piece of work and for putting up with my writing style, I'm still trying to improve myself. Appreciate all the support, whether through reviews, follows, favs, or whatever. Next chapter should be in about 2 weeks or so, like last time. I've got most of the duel written already, just gotta fill in some missing details. Stick around and hopefully this ride will end well.**

 **The sun may shine bright, but it's you who must embrace the path of light, (nonsensical quote I made up on the spot)**

 **-BasketballIsFun**


	7. When Best Friends Duel

**Quick shoutout to Green Phantom Queen for reviewing last chapter. This came out later than expected, but ah well, sometimes it can't be helped. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Anyhow, happy reading!  
**

* * *

On the duel field, Gongenzaka waited patiently for Yuya to arrive, the aspiring dueltainer nowhere to be found. Around the arena, murmurs began to spread as people speculated as to where he could've disappeared to.

"Yuya didn't say anything when he left, did he?" Yusho asked his wife, concerned by his son's sudden disappearance.

"No, but I have a pretty good idea where he would be though," Yoko replied, a slight smile appearing on her face. When Yusho gave her a look of confusion, she elaborated.

"After you disappeared, Yuya always went to the bridge before big duels to think about things. He thought about how you dueled, how he could put on a show of his own, but… it was also his quiet place, somewhere he could vent. It wasn't very easy for him after you left, but Yuya always pulled through," Yoko reminisced.

"I wish I had been there for him," Yusho said with a sigh. "Instead I went on a wild goose chase for Leo and—"

Yoko interrupted, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I already told you, it's okay Yusho. I understand why you did what you did, to help save our dimensions. You couldn't have known that transporter would leave you stranded in the Xyz Dimension. Do I wish you had told me about it beforehand? Absolutely, but what's done is done. As for Yuya, he had a hard time, but it also helped him grow, not just as a duelist, but as a person. He's matured so much over the past few years. Still, no matter what, he'll always be our son."

"I know… but I still owe you both an apology," Yusho said. "It couldn't have been easy for either of you."

"It wasn't, but we tried to make the most of it," Yoko admitted. "I'm just happy you're back. And speaking of being back…"

Yuya appeared from one of the lower tunnels, dashing out to the field, looking very disheveled. When he finally managed to stand face to face with his best friend, he was panting heavily, as if he just ran a marathon.

"Yuya! I, the man Gongenzaka, was getting worried! Where the heck were ya?" Gongenzaka inquired.

"I'd… rather not talk about it," Yuya replied sheepishly, still trying to recover his breath.

 _"I told you it was impractical to try out that duel disk, Yugo,"_ Yuri informed his Synchro counterpart with a roll of his eyes. _"You're lucky we ran into that guy who was heading to the arena for his shift before we got too far."_

 _"Hey, you can't blame me, it looked so sleek and—wait, did you just call me Yugo?"_ he said confusedly, Yuri's comment having just fully sunk in.

 _"Yes, that is your name after all,"_ Yuri replied drably.

 _"Wow, I guess you really have changed,"_ he mused, before getting back to the argument at hand. _"I did have a good reason for it though! I thought it'd be a good chance to look at—"_

 _"Cram it, you two,"_ Yuto told them sternly. _"We don't need to argue about this right now, settle it later."_ The two of them did as told surprisingly, though Yuto couldn't help but wonder if he was only kicking the can down the road. After all, Yuri and Yugo were essentially polar opposites, it felt as if the two of them would get into arguments like this for the foreseeable future, though fortunately none of them were anything more than petty disputes for the time being.

Yuya thanked Yuto before recalling what he had thought earlier about the idea of being merged with three other people: There'd never be a boring moment in sight. While he had felt that had been hyperbole even at the time; the way things were going, those words would hold true.

Nico Smiley's voice boomed around the arena to get everyone's attention. "Well then folks, after a late entrace by Yuya Sakaki, we're just about ready to get underway here! It's time for us to select an Action Field! Now as the randomizer goes on, just what will it reveal?" Nico asked in anticipation. "My my, it seems we're going to be entering murky conditions once we get this duel rolling, especially with the Wetlands Action Field!" The ARC system generated the surroundings, tall grass emerging from the ground, along with a rainy atmosphere to go with it. A pond was created near Yuya, who also noticed some hilly ranges on Gongenzaka's side of the field.

 **[ACTION FIELD: WETLANDS]**

The steadfast duelist looked straight at him, never wavering eye contact as he spoke. "Yuya, we've known each other before we were even old enough to pick up our duel disks. You're my best friend, and I cherish that friendship every day. Lately, you've closed yourself off from the rest of us, which isn't unusual for you… Difference is, this time I can't figure out what's troubling you."

Yuya was about to respond and deny this, but Gongenzaka held up a hand before he could get a word out. "But it's fine, Yuya, we understand. No one's forcing you to explain yourself, that's your call. Though for now, maybe we can communicate to each other better in a duel! Be warned though, because I, the man Gongenzaka, won't be holding anything back!"

"Well everyone, looks like these best buddies will be going full force at each other, not that we expected any less, but still good to hear. Gongenzaka seems determined to learn more about whatever Yuya's holding out through their duel, let's find out if he's got what it takes to send a powerful message of his own!" Melissa Claire said excitedly to pump up the crowd.

"Duelists locked into battle!" Yuya began the chant to sweep his best friend's words under the rug for the time being.

"Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" Gongenzaka continued.

"They storm through the field! Behold!"

"This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling! So now it's time to Action…"

"DUEL!" they shouted in unison, drawing their cards.

 **Turn 1**

 **Gongenzaka: 4000 LP, Hand: 5**

 **Yuya: 4000 LP, Hand: 5**

" _Well, those certainly aren't your normal cards,"_ Yuri observed from the opening hand.

 _"See, if we went to the park to test out the duel disk like I said, we would've found out earlier!"_ Yugo pointed out, still hellbent on winning that argument.

 _"Okay, maybe you had a point, happy now?"_ Yuri told him, to which Yugo responded with a pleased grin.

" _I was wondering what happened to your guys' decks,_ " Yuya said, moving past the argument quickly. " _I guess we know now._ "

" _Alright, looks like we can all have our fair share in the spotlight during these duels!_ " Yugo replied enthusiastically.

" _Seems like a tricky hand to play,_ " Yuto said, a pondering look on his face. _"But we can pull it off."_

"I'll be taking the first turn, Yuya!" Gongenzaka called out. "Since I have no spell or trap cards in my graveyard, I can automatically summon Superheavy Samurai Transporter from my hand to field! And then I'll normal summon the Tuner monster, Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter!"

 **Superheavy Samurai Transporter: Lvl 5, 1200 ATK, 1800 DEF, Machine, Effect, EARTH**

 **Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter: Lvl 2, 300 ATK, 600 DEF, Machine, Tuner, Effect, EARTH**

"Looks like Gongenzaka isn't wasting any time. He's already got his field primed and for a Synchro Summon!" Nico remarked.

"Gongenzaka really wants to win this, huh?" Tatsuya observed, sitting with the other You Show kids and Shuzo.

"He and Yuya will both push each other to their limits. They've been dueling their whole lives together just for duels like this," Shuzo replied, intrigued as to how this duel would go.

"I tune my Level 5 Superheavy Samurai Transporter with my Level 2 Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter! This samurai's a bit different from the rest, it stays hidden in the shadows when making its approach. But it's got just the edge I need. I Synchro Summon, Level 7 Superheavy Samurai Stealth Ninja!"

 **5 + 2 = 7**

 **Superheavy Samurai Stealth Ninja: Lvl 7, 1200 ATK, 2800 DEF, Machine, Synchro, Effect, EARTH (Defense Mode)**

"With that, I'll end my turn," Gongenzaka concluded. "It's your move Yuya."

"Gongenzaka's already kicked things into overdrive on his first turn!" Nico exclaimed. "How will Yuya be able to overcome his powerful monster?"

Yuya analysed the situation. He didn't want to go for Action Cards just yet on the off chance Gongenzaka brought his Susano-O out next turn to utilize spell cards in _his_ graveyard. But with his current hand, he couldn't summon any monster more powerful than Stealth Ninja, and he knew from experience that if Gongenzaka halved its defense points next turn, it could attack him directly regardless of any monsters he had. So, he'd have to summon a monster or have a spell or trap to negate that effect…

"There's no time like the present! I draw!" Yuya's eyes widened as he saw the card.

 _"Looks like you're up, Yugo,"_ Yuya told his Synchro counterpart.

 _"Already? Aw yeah, I was worried I was gonna have to sit on the sidelines this duel,"_ he shouted with excitement.

 **Turn 2**

 **Gongenzaka: 4000 LP, Hand: 3**

 **Yuya: 4000 LP, Hand: 6**

"It's time I get this show started!" Yuya announced to the crowd. "First, I'll set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 4 Performapal Whim Witch and Scale 6 Performapal Guitartle." The two monsters went up into their respective zones.

"What's this? Yuya's heavily restricting himself with that kind of scale. He'll only be able to summon Level 5 monsters!" Nico shouted out.

"Ah, but wait, there's more to my move than what meets the eye. I can use Guitartle's Pendulum ability to draw a card since a Performapal is in my other Pendulum Zone. Here goes!" _Yes!_

 **Yuya's hand: 5**

"Next I'll activate Whim Witch's Pendulum Ability! Since you've got a monster from your Extra Deck on the field, I can summon Whim Witch from the Pendulum Zone to my field!

 **Performapal Whim Witch: Lvl 3, 800 ATK, 800 DEF, Spellcaster, PS: 4, Effect, DARK**

Then I'll rebuild my Pendulum Scale by setting Scale 2 Performapal Camelump in Whim Witch's place. It may seem like I took the long way out, but this move'll pay off. Now I can summon monsters between Levels 3 through 5 all at the same time!"

Gongenzaka was apprehensive now, knowing how badly that monster wore him down with its Pendulum Ability allowing Yuya to deal him piercing damage. Still, he tried not to worry too much yet, best to see what Yuya could do first.

"Swing far, pendulum of my soul! Carve the arc of victory! Now we're set to kick this duel into high gear! Bring out the beat, Canon the Melodious Diva! And say hello to the Tuner monster, Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice!" One of Yuzu's monsters appeared on the field, to go along with one of Yugo's signature tuners.

 **Canon the Melodious Diva: Lvl 4, 1400 ATK, 2000 DEF, Fairy, Effect, LIGHT**

 **Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice: Lvl 3, 300 ATK, 600 DEF, Machine, Tuner, Effect, WIND**

"Golly, Yuya's pulling new monsters and archetypes out of his deck faster than I've seen Jack Atlas ride his duel runner!" Melissa exclaimed. "Nico, just when do you think he'll start slowing down?"

"There's no telling Melissa, and truthfully, that's Yuya for you, folks! Always wanting to dazzle the crowd with his moves, and the unexpected should always be expected from him!" the co-commentator replied excitedly. "And not to forget, he has a Tuner on the field, and it's looking like a prime opportunity for a Synchro Summon this time around!"

"You're right on point Nico! Get ready, because it's showtime! Level 3 Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice tunes Level 4 Canon the Melodious Diva so that I can take this duel to a whole new level! Beat your wings to whip up a whirlwind of destruction! Strike down our enemies at light speed! I Synchro Summon, Level 7 Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!" he chanted.

 **4 + 3 = 7**

 **Clear Wing Synchro Dragon: Lvl 7, 2500 ATK, 2000 DEF, Dragon, Synchro, Effect, WIND**

"Oh my, Yuya's brought out another splendid dragon for this duel, this one of the Synchro variety! It's simply… uh, are you all right, Melissa?" Nico asked, looking at his fellow commentator concerned.

"OOH WEE! Both duelists just pulled off some sweet Synchro Summons, I can't tell y'all how proud it makes me to see our summoning method stretch so far!" she squealed with jubilation.

From the other side of the arena, Mieru peered into Yuya's spirit with her crystal apple from afar, gasping at what she saw. "Darling, one of the souls inside you got stronger after you brought out that dragon!"

Meanwhile, Yuya was beginning to set up for his attack. "First, I activate Performapal Camelump's special ability. It lets one of my monsters deal you piercing damage even if your monster's in defense mode! And the monster loses 800 defense points for each attack! I'm granting that effect to Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!" Camelump blew a bubble at Stealth Ninja, reducing its defense points.

 **Superheavy Samurai Stealth Ninja: 2800 – 800 = 2000 DEF**

"Now go Clear Wing, strike down Stealth Ninja! Helldive Whirlwind Slash!" Yuya commanded, the mirror-like dragon priming its attack. To everyone's surprise, Gongenzaka did nothing to stop the attack, his monster ultimately being destroyed.

 **Clear Wing Synchro Dragon: 2500 + 600 = 3100 ATK**

 **Gongenzaka: 4000 – 500 = 3500 LP**

However, before Yuya could even think about attacking directly, he countered. "I send my Superheavy Samurai Soulbeads from my hand to the graveyard! This allows me to bring back Stealth Ninja, only this time in attack mode!"

 **Gongenzaka's hand: 2**

 **Superheavy Samurai Stealth Ninja: Lvl 7, 1200 ATK, 2800 DEF, Machine, Synchro, Effect, EARTH**

 _"Camelump's ability only applies for one of my monsters, not that any of my other ones are powerful enough to take on Stealth Ninja, plus it's in attack mode now anyway,"_ Yuya realized. _"If only I had Rune-Eyes like last time…"_

 _"Rune-Eyes?"_ Yuri inquired in confusion.

 _"Yeah, Rune-Eyes is one of Odd-Eyes's evolved Fusion forms,"_ he replied. _"Yuto and even Yugo have seen it, I'm pretty sure."_

 _"Wait, what do you mean by **one** of its Fusion forms?" _the Predaplant user asked with a raised eyebrow out of curiosity.

 _"Well, not that I approved when we first merged, but Fusion summoning holds a very sentimental place in Yuya's heart thanks to Yuzu,"_ Yuto explained. _"He never would've discovered how to summon his own Fusion monsters if it weren't for her."_

 _"Interesting,"_ Yuri replied, a pondering look on his face. When the other counterparts eyed him with questioning glances of their own, he waved them off. _"Oh, don't mind me, just thinking is all. Why don't you get back to the duel, Yuya?"_

The dueltainer shrugged, but still took Yuri's advice nonetheless. "I place one card facedown and end my turn. Your move, Gongenzaka."

"Well then folks, this duel is going to be quite the struggle! Two turns have passed, and both duelists have already brought out some powerful monsters. It'll be a dogfight!" Nico proclaimed.

"You're right about that, Nico, but I got a feeling Gongenzaka's got something up his sleeve to change that next turn," Melissa added, highly anticipating what was to come.

"My turn!" Gongenzaka drew his card with such force, a wind whipped up around the battlefield. He smirked at the card; just what he needed.

 **Turn 3**

 **Gongenzaka: 3500 LP, Hand: 3**

 **Yuya: 4000 LP, Hand: 1**

"First I'll switch Stealth Ninja back to defense mode!" Gongenzaka declared.

 **Superheavy Samurai Stealth Ninja: 1200 ATK to 2800 DEF**

"Now, since I control a Superheavy monster, I can summon the tantalizing Superheavy Samurai Hexagon in attack mode straight from my hand!"

 **Superheavy Samurai Hexagon: Lvl 6, 600 ATK, 2000 DEF, Machine, Effect, EARTH**

"Next, I'll summon the Tuner monster, Superheavy Samurai Fist!"

 **Superheavy Samurai Fist: Lvl 2, 900 ATK, 900 DEF, Machine, Tuner, Effect, EARTH**

"Samurai Fist, give Yuya's Whim Witch a good pounding!" Gongenzaka went on the attack instead of Synchro Summoning, much to everyone's confusion. Yuya made no move to activate his trap or go for an Action Card at that moment. As a result, Whim Witch was destroyed and returned to Yuya's Extra Deck, dealing him miniscule damage.

 **Yuya: 4000 – 100 = 3900 LP**

"Since my Samurai Fist destroyed your monster in battle, it lets me Synchro Summon during battle!" the steadfast duelist said, the monster transforming into its respective green rings. "I tune my Level 6 Superheavy Samurai Hexagon with my Level 2 Superheavy Samurai Fist! I Synchro Summon, Level 8 Superheavy Samurai Ninja Saruto-B!"

 **6 + 2 = 8**

 **Superheavy Samurai Ninja Saruto-B: Lvl 8, 2000 ATK, 2800 DEF, Machine, Synchro, Effect, EARTH (Defense Mode)**

"This move'll leave you wide open, Yuya! Since I don't have any Spell or Trap cards in my graveyard, Saruto-B can destroy one spell or trap card on your field and deal you 500 points of damage for it! Your facedown is a goner!" Gongenzaka declared, though Yuya didn't seem worried.

"Not gonna happen Gongenzaka! Since Saruto-B is Level 5 or above, Clear Wing can negate that ability and then destroy your monster to gain its attack points." Yuya shot back.

"Ugh, fine. Since Clear Wing can negate my monsters' abilities, I won't have Stealth Ninja attack you directly then. Saruto-B, take a swipe at Clear Wing Synchro Dragon to deal some damage! You all know that my monsters can attack even if they're in defense mode." Saruto-B produced a whirlwind erupted throughout the battlefield, getting dangerously close to the Dimensional Dragon before Yuya countered.

"I play my trap: Burning Sonic! It negates your monster's attack, and as long it remains on the field, it'll give Clear Wing Synchro Dragon 500 extra attack points!" Saruto-B's gusts were halted in midair, blocked by a red aura that shrouded Clear Wing. Yuya inwardly thanked Yugo for the card, as it likely just saved the duel for him.

 **Clear Wing Synchro Dragon: 2500 + 500 = 3000 ATK**

"I end my turn," Gongenzaka said reluctantly, a hint of frustration in his voice. "I may not have been able to do too much, but I promise you things won't be so easy next time."

"Of course not, Gongenzaka," Yuya closed his eyes, an image of a monster appearing in his mind. _It's been a while, old friend._ "I wouldn't expect any less from the person who was willing to evolve his steadfast style of dueling to become stronger. And that's why we're always at our best when dueling each other."

"You wanted to hear my voice, to speak to me through dueling, well I'll do the same right now! My move, my way! I draw!" Yuya declared.

 **Turn 4**

 **Gongenzaka: 3500 LP, Hand: 1**

 **Yuya: 3900 LP, Hand: 2**

"First up, I'm activating Guitartle's Pendulum ability to let me draw another card this turn," Yuya announced, immediately doing as he said.

 **Yuya's hand: 3**

 _"That card won't do you any good,"_ Yugo said with a frown.

 _"Maybe not yet,"_ Yuto replied with a look of thought on his face. _"But it could win the duel for us later. Yuya, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"_

 _"I've got a rough idea,"_ Yuya said, trying to hide a knowing smile of his own.

Before any of the counterparts could ask about his "idea", Gongenzaka snapped him back to reality with an exclaim of surprise. "You mean that effect is once per turn?!"

"It is!" Yuya replied, quickly maneuvering to execute his strategy. "And now since I've already set my Pendulum Scale, I can once again Pendulum Summon! Coming back from my Extra Deck is Performapal Whim Witch! And joining it will be Aria the Melodious Diva!"

 **Performapal Whim Witch: Lvl 3, 800 ATK, 800 DEF, Spellcaster, PS: 4, Effect, DARK**

 **Aria the Melodious Diva: Lvl 4, 1600 ATK, 1200 DEF, Fairy, Effect, LIGHT**

"Moving on, though my dragon is doing a fine job for the moment, I think it's time I bring out a new monster. Something most of you guys have never seen before! My field is set, now it's time for things to kick into high gear! Watch as Clear Wing Synchro Dragon tunes Performapal Whim Witch!" Yuya announced.

"W-what did he say?" Nico asked nervously, the move unprecedented to him. "Clear Wing isn't a Tuner monster!"

"Oh my, folks, Yuya's bringing out the big guns now! It's the same move he pulled off against Jack Atlas! Synchro Summoning without a Tuner!" Melissa recognized the play instantly.

A good majority of the crowd gasped in shock, wondering how that was even possible. "She's right on the mark, there's a monster I can Synchro Summon only by using a Pendulum Summoned monster. Now Clear Wing can take on the role of a tuner in this case," he explained as Clear Wing transformed into 7 rings around Whim Witch, beginning the process. Thunder emerged from the skies, shrouding the new monster momentarily.

"From the peaceful depths of time, I call on you to revive and spread your divine light! Ladies and gentlemen, please make way for the ancient mystical swordsman himself, Level 10 Nirvana High Paladin!" Yuya chanted.

 **3 + 7 = 10**

 **Nirvana High Paladin: Lvl 10, 3300 ATK, 2500 DEF, Spellcaster, Synchro, PS: 8, Effect, DARK**

A wave of excitement hit everybody as they looked at the new monster in awe.

"Unbelievable," Yaiba gawked in awe, the monster putting his Synchros to shame.

"It looks even better in person," Shuzo was almost in a trance, staring wide eyed.

 _Yuya, you've grown so much,_ Yoko couldn't keep the proud smile off her face.

"As-astounding, Yuya's done it again!" Nico exclaimed. "He's brought out a monster that's virtually unparalleled, I've never seen anything like it!"

"Since Clear Wing is no longer on the field, my Burning Sonic loses its effects and is sent to the graveyard," Yuya explained. "Now then—"

"You just made a big mistake, Yuya! Since you just sent Clear Wing to the graveyard, I can activate Saruto-B's ability! I'm destroying Performapal Camelump in your Pendulum Zone, and you take 500 points of damage!" Saruto-B let out a gust, removing the monster and sending it to Yuya's Extra Deck.

 **Yuya: 3900 – 500 = 3400 LP**

"I guess I'll have to step up my game a bit then," Yuya said determinedly, running for an Action Card, a plan in mind. "Nirvana High Paladin, take out Saruto-B! Go, Elysium Elimination!" Paladin's sword was imbued with green and blue energy that slashed through Stealth Ninja, who was unable to evade the attack. A large boom erupted in the area from the sheer force emitted, though Gongenzaka took no damage since the monster was in defense mode.

To everyone's surprise, his monster still remained intact when the dust settled, though Yuya expected nothing less. "I sent my Superheavy Samurai Soulfire Suit to the graveyard to stop Saruto-B from being destroyed the rest of this turn! Unfortunately, it loses 800 defense points for every attack it shouldn't have survived," Gongenzaka informed everyone, a protective shield surrounding his monster.

 **Gongenzaka's hand: 0**

 **Superheavy Samurai Saruto-B: 2000 – 800 = 1200 DEF**

"Classic move, Gongenzaka. Guess I'll have to step it up a bit," Yuya acknowledged, still running around. "Okay, Aria the Melodious Diva, attack Saruto-B again!"

"Yuya's attacking even though his monster has less attack points, what's he doing?" Melissa Claire exclaimed.

"Putting my hope in the cards, that's all there is to it!" Yuya said, rolling around in the tall grass until he finally spotted an Action Card, though he winced at it. Certainly not what he was hoping for.

Meanwhile, Aria's piercing sound wave pushed hard at the barrier protecting Saruto-B but couldn't break it down, the attack eventually being retorted by Gongenzaka's monster, though fortunately, it wasn't in attack mode. However, Yuya still took damage from the failed attack.

 **Yuya: 3400 – 400 = 3000 LP**

He shrugged it off quickly though, instantly moving on. "Now I activate Aria the Melodious Diva's ability! One that you all should be familiar with, but I guess I'll have to explain it anyway," he said, searching the crowd—his parents and Shuzo mostly—for any hints of recognition. "Once per turn, when she doesn't deal you any battle damage from her attack, you get hit with 800 points of damage!"

"What?!" Gongenzaka was taken aback, his surprise disappointing Yuya. After all, the steadfast duelist would know Yuzu's cards best aside from himself, but he gave no indication of expecting the move.

 **Gongenzaka: 3500 – 800 = 2700 LP**

"I end my turn with a facedown," Yuya concluded, trying not to sound deflated. Instead, he focused on the positives. "I gotta say, it still blows my mind to see how far you've come, Gongenzaka. I've always dreamed we'd face off on the big stage someday, but to think it's actually happening now…"

"I could say the same thing about you, Yuya," Gongenzaka replied, closing his eyes and chuckling at the memory of Yuya's dueling style prior to the interdimensional war. "I'm glad you're enjoying the moment, however… duelists gotta duel at the end of the day."

"It's simply amazing, how much these two duelists respect one another," Nico admired. "This is the epitome of dueling right now folks, it doesn't get much better than this!"

"This battle's far from over Yuya! It's time I come at you full force!" the steadfast duelist said, a fire in his eyes.

"I wouldn't expect anything else! Come at me full force, Gongenzaka!" Yuya encouraged, a smile on his face along with pure determination on the inside.

"I will! Draw!" Gongenzaka frowned; the card he drew would help, but it wasn't the one he needed to win the duel in that moment.

 **Turn 5**

 **Gongenzaka: 2700 LP, Hand: 1**

 **Yuya: 3000 LP, Hand: 1**

"I summon the Tuner monster, Superheavy Samurai Drum!" Gongenzaka declared.

 **Superheavy Samurai Drum: Lvl 1, 300 ATK, 300 DEF, Machine, Tuner, Effect, EARTH**

"Now I activate Saruto-B's ability! I can destroy one of your spell or trap cards and deal you 500 points of damage for it! Saruto-B, take out Performapal Guitartle in Yuya's Pendulum Zone this time!" A gusty whirlwind spread rapidly and destroyed Yuya's Pendulum monster, sending it to his Extra Deck.

 **Yuya: 3000 – 500 = 2500 LP**

"Now you can't draw any more cards! Everything comes down to this!" Gongenzaka said with a sense of finality. "Level 1 Battleball tunes Level 8 Saruto-B to keep things going!

 **1 + 8 = 9**

I Synchro Summon, Level 9 Superheavy Samurai Beast Kyu-B!"

 **Superheavy Samurai Beast Kyu-B: Lvl 9, 1900 ATK, 2500 DEF, Machine, Synchro, Effect, EARTH (Defense Mode)**

"Gongenzaka may have Synchro Summoned, but it's a monster that still doesn't have enough defense points to take on Yuya's top monster. What could he possibly do with it?" Nico wondered aloud.

"With Kyu-B's effect, it gains 900 defense points for each special summoned monster my opponent controls!" The effect floored Nico and the audience entirely as its defense points shot up with Aria and Nirvana High Paladin on Yuya's field.

 **Superheavy Samurai Beast Kyu-B: 2500 + (900 x 2) = 4300 DEF**

"But in exchange, it's gotta attack the strongest monster on your field! So Kyu-B, take out Nirvana High Paladin!" The monster shot a flamethrower out of its staff at Paladin, who countered with his sword. Pushing back, Paladin was unable to resist for long as it was destroyed, its destruction reducing Kyu-B's defense as a monster left the field.

 **Yuya: 2500 – 1000 = 1500 LP**

 **Superheavy Samurai Beast Kyu-B: 4300 – 900 = 3400 DEF**

"Nirvana High Paladin's special ability lets me place it in the Pendulum Zone when it's destroyed!" Yuya told everyone, the spellcaster rising into the arc.

"It doesn't matter where it goes, because now Stealth Ninja will attack Aria the Melodious Diva!" Gongenzaka said, opting to attack the non-Pendulum monster since it would go to the graveyard, as opposed to attacking directly for a small amount of greater damage that still wouldn't quite win him the duel this turn.

 **Yuya: 1500 – 1200 = 300 LP**

Gongenzaka scrutinized the field, assessing his best friend for any telltale signs of what he would do next. _The way things are now, Yuya could still easily turn things around on his next turn. I'm all out of moves now, unless…_ Gongenzaka realized what he'd have to do to win right then and there.

To everyone's surprise, Gongenzaka rushed from the spot where he'd been standing still the whole duel, searching for an Action Card to help him win the duel. Spotting one floating in the pond the Action Field had generated, he leapt into the water and swam towards the center.

"Unbelievable! It seems that Gongenzaka has abandoned his steadfast dueling in light of this duel hanging in the balance! He's going for an Action Card!" Nico exclaimed. "Hold onto your seats folks, we are bearing witness to history today!"

"Too bad Yuya got a dud. It looks like he can't anything to protect himself," Melissa pointed out.

"Now that they bring it up, Yuya hasn't tried to find Action Cards much this duel at all," Shun realized. "Weird, they're usually his go to."

"Truthfully, I don't even know what Yuya's deal is at this point," Sawatari threw his hands up in slight frustration. "You'd almost think it's opposite day the way things are going."

Gongenzaka got the card and managed to wade out of the water to activate it. "I'm activating the Action Spell: Wonder Chance! It lets one of my monsters attack again this turn! Kyu-B, scorch Yuya with a direct attack this time around!"

To everyone and no one's surprise at the same time, Yuya had something up his sleeve. "I activate Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice's special ability from my graveyard! By banishing it, I can negate your attack!"

"You had that monster ready the whole time?" Gongenzaka said in surprise. _There's no way he knew I would try to get an Action Card, so why not use that ability on my last attack to keep his monster safe? Unless… he wanted his field to be empty on purpose! But why?_ Gongenzaka wondered.

"Hmmph, should've seen that coming. I end my turn," Gongenzaka concluded, unsatisfied that he couldn't finish the job, though he still felt relatively confident given the state of Yuya's field.

"These duelists are going down to the wire, it's anyone's game! But with Yuya hanging on by the skin of his teeth in terms of life points, you get the feeling things may be ending soon, one way or another!" Nico remarked.

"Absolutely, it's times like this where Yuya shines best!" Melissa chimed in. "Let's just see if he has what it takes to pull it off, though it won't be easy. His Pendulum Scale's broken, and he has no monsters on his field!"

"It's my turn!" Yuya announced, knowing the next draw would make or break things. "I DRAW!"

 **Turn 6**

 **Gongenzaka: 2700 LP, Hand: 0**

 **Yuya: 300 LP, Hand: 2**

"Now, while I may not have any monsters on my field, I can use that to my advantage. I'll make the best of it by activating the spell: Shuffle Reborn!" he declared, playing the card he had since the beginning of his last turn, the one of so much discussion amongst his counterparts. "Now I can bring back Clear Wing Synchro Dragon from my graveyard, but its effects will be negated. In addition, it'll be banished at the end of my turn." The dragon emerged from the black portal with a loud roar. Consequentially, Kyu-B also grew stronger as another special summoned monster appeared on the field.

 **Clear Wing Synchro Dragon: Lvl 7, 2500 ATK, 2000 DEF, Dragon, Synchro, WIND**

 **Superheavy Samurai Beast Kyu-B: 2500 + 900 = 3400 DEF**

"Next, Shuffle Reborn returns one card on my field to my deck and then I can draw a card. I return my unused trap: Re-dyce-cle to my deck!" One of Yugo's more risky traps was returned to Yuya's deck, allowing him to further facilitate Shuffle Reborn's effect.

"Well that was a dud…" Sawatari mused. "He must've been trying to bait Gongenzaka to destroy it instead of his Pendulum monster last turn by setting it facedown."

"Before I draw my card, I'll reset my Pendulum Scale with Scale 6 Performapal Odd-Eyes Synchron which I just drew this turn. But back to the card I was gonna draw, here goes!" Yuya's deck reshuffled itself and he drew the card.

 **Yuya's hand: 1**

 _Just what I needed._ "Now with Scale 6 Performapal Odd-Eyes Synchron and Scale 8 Nirvana High Paladin, I set the Pendulum Scale! I can summon Level 7 monsters! Swing far pendulum, more and more! It's time my monster takes center stage! Give it up for the one and only dragon with dichromatic eyes, the monster I just drew thanks to Shuffle Reborn, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

 **Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon: Lvl 7, 2500 ATK, 2000 DEF, Dragon, PS: 4, Effect, DARK**

 **Superheavy Samurai Beast Kyu-B: 3400 + 900 = 4300 DEF**

"So what?" Gongenzaka retorted, not impressed. "Even if you have two dragons, none of them have enough attack points to take on Kyu-B! Plus, you can't deal me any damage anyway!"

"Who said I was sticking with these monsters?" Yuya replied with a grin.

"What do you mean? You've already Pendulum Summoned this turn, there's no way you can bring out another monster," the steadfast duelist pointed out, his face paling slightly at Yuya's notion.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Gongenzaka! With Performapal Odd-Eyes Synchron's Pendulum Ability, I can make one Odd-Eyes or Performapal monster on the field Level 1, plus I can treat it as a Tuner monster!" Yuya revealed.

 **Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon: Lvl 7 to 1, Type Added: Tuner**

"What's this?" Nico exclaimed, wondering just where this would lead. Yuya couldn't possibly combine the dragons… could he?

"My Level 1 Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon now tunes my Level 7 Clear Wing Synchro Dragon! And together they'll form a new, brighter monster to mark the beginning of a new age! Dragon with duel colored eyes, obtain the shining wings of light and soar above all! I Synchro Summon, Level 8 Odd-Eyes Wing Dragon!" Yuya chanted, the monster emerging from a brilliant light.

 **Odd-Eyes Wing Dragon: Lvl 8, 3000 ATK, 2500 DEF, Dragon, Synchro, PS: 10, Effect, DARK**

"No way…" was the collective response all around the crowd, their minds spinning at what they had just witnessed.

"That card wasn't in Yuya's Extra Deck earlier," That part hardly surprised Shuzo, it was more about the dragon itself. It was startlingly regal and commanding on the field, an incredible sight to behold.

 _"Not bad, but how come you combined you and Yugo's dragons first?"_ Yuri fake pouted.

 _"To be honest, I didn't really get the idea until I drew Odd-Eyes Synchron, which I don't remember having in my deck either. Trust me, if I had a way to do it last round, I would've,"_ Yuya told him.

 _"It… it's amazing!"_ Yugo cried out. " _I'm willing to bet it's the best hybrid of all our dragons. So shiny… and bright!"_

 _'Odd-Eyes Rebellion Dragon's pretty good,'_ Yuto argued.

 _"Yes, but from what I gathered, it has quite the tricky requirements to summon and its ability only works if you give your Xyz Dragon a level,"_ Yuri retorted. " _This one basically nukes our opponent's field, right?"_

"I activate Odd-Eyes Wing Dragon's special ability! It can destroy all of your monsters on the field!" Yuya declared.

 _"Yep, it does."_

"Oh no!" Gongenzaka gasped.

"Starlight Overforce!" Kyu-B and Stealth Ninja were destroyed in a blinding light, leaving Gongenzaka wide open.

"It's time for my big finish! Odd-Eyes Wing Dragon, attack Gongenzaka directly! Go, Spiral Helldive Storm Strike!" The dragon began to prime its attack, gunning right for Gongenzaka, spinning so fast it became a blur while also shooting a flame from its mouth to augment the power of the hit.

Fortunately, the dragon slowed down as it approached Gongenzaka, who had a feeling that Action Field precautions or not, the attack could've hurt _badly_ had the monster gone full force. Regardless, it still ended the duel, depleting the rest of his life points.

 **Gongenzaka: 2700 – 3000 = 0**

"And that does it folks! What a thrilling conclusion to a tight duel all the way through! Yuya Sakaki is the one on top in the end, and he'll be advancing to the finals to face the winner of Shun Kurosaki and Mieru Hochun, our next featured duel! Be here tomorrow for that one!" Nico Smiley announced.

On the duel field, Gongenzaka had managed to right himself, still feeling a bit dazed after Yuya's final attack, though he tried not to show it. The only indication he gave was a slight clench of his jaw as he shook hands with his best friend and congratulated him. When he made eye contact with those red coloured eyes, Gongenzaka saw… something that hadn't been there before. A glint, some sign of a kindled passion and determination to go with his happy-go-lucky attitude. It was a bit jarring for the steadfast duelist to see that type of look from his best friend, especially when he thought back to all the other times they had dueled, back when Yuya was merely a boy with heart and plenty of innocence. After the war, that innocence had been purged—what Yuya had seen was enough to wipe it out ten times over—but even now, Yuya hadn't lost himself, maintaining his dueling spirit and evolving it over time.

Realization dawned upon him as he spoke, "It's hard for I, the man Gongenzaka, to say this, but I will. Yuya, I felt pretty sure about it before, but now I can say it for certain. You've surpassed me, feels like you have for a while now. And while I don't know how you plan on keeping those dragons in check, I know there's no better choice than you to do the job."

Yuya smiled. "Thanks, Gongenzaka. You've been the best friend I could ever ask for, and knowing you have that kind of faith in me despite everything that's going on…" he put a hand to his heart before continuing, "it means a lot."

"And about the dragons, they're more than just my monsters now. They each represent a part of me and hold a special place in my heart. I work towards understanding them better every day, and hopefully one day… I can unlock their true potential," Yuya continued, a solemn look on his face as he spoke. While Gongenzaka did his best to listen, Kurosaki and Sawatari were also trying to get his attention, motioning for him to come back to the stands.

"You definitely did a good job of that today. But just one thing," Gongenzaka said, still somewhat mystified by Yuya's behavior. "What's with all the new cards and archetypes you're playing? You clearly know how to use them, plus they actually seem to synergize well with your deck. But why are you using them?"

"Well it's more about me trying to keep things fresh more than anything. Now obviously the cards dictate that more than anything, but when I get the chance, I always want to try out new strategies. That way, my opponent's always on their heels when I duel. Plus, it's way more fun that way!" Yuya replied, the answer vague enough to not give anything away, but also satisfying the question for the most part.

"I see…" Gongenzaka gave the words some thought, before clamping a hand onto Yuya's shoulder that practically dwarfed it. "Yuya, I would say good luck with the finals, but I know you've got it in you to win it already. Keep up the great dueling."

With that, Gongenzaka left, hustling back to where Kurosaki and Sawatari were sitting, leaving Yuya in the midst of the duel field alone. He saw the trio discuss something amongst themselves briefly before leaving. The three pushed their way through the crowd heading for the exits, obviously in a rush to do whatever they had agreed on.

 _"What's that all about?"_ Yuto asked, puzzled.

 _"Who knows? I've given up trying to understand those yahoos,"_ Yuri replied with a shrug.

 _"Who cares? My dragon just won us the duel! We should be celebrating! Let's go get something to eat!"_ Yugo said excitedly, completely ignoring the situation.

 _"Yugo, we didn't celebrate when my dragon won us the last duel,"_ Yuri pointed out.

 _"Yeah, but your dragon didn't fuse with Yuya's last time either. This is a special occasion!"_ the Speedroid user argued.

 _"Yugo, I can tell you firsthand that my mom's cooking is about as good as it'll get here,"_ Yuya told him. _"But if you really want to go out, I can always ask my parents, though they might want to save that for after the finals…"_

 _"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go!"_ Yugo impatiently said, his impulsiveness getting a chuckle out of the other counterparts, who had come to terms with it by now.

As Yuya waited for the crowd to filter out, he felt himself smile, almost unconsciously. Yes, things still weren't perfect and there were still much to be done, but in the moment, he truly felt content for the first time in a long time. Or maybe Yugo's energy was simply infectious. Whatever the case, he felt good overall. The war was over, he had adjusted to and even welcomed his counterparts' presence in his mind with ease, and his family was back together. Sure, there was no one to cherish their memory nor Yuzu and her counterparts, and some of the Lancers were displeased with him, but Yuya was confident for once that these problems weren't insurmountable and could be resolved over time.

Maybe things were looking up after all.

* * *

 **If you read through that cluster of a duel and chapter, I salute you. I changed the details of it all about thirty times while editing, mainly to try and keep everyone in character along with having everything make sense logistically. Hopefully this is enough to satisfy that mini hiatus I was just on. If you care enough, you can let me know your thoughts with a review, whether it be a critique, praise, constructive criticism, or whatever it may be. Always grateful of any support I can get. :D**

 **Also, yes, Nirvana High Paladin was pretty useless this chapter, aside from lowering a monster's defense and giving Yuya a scale towards the end. Yuya probably would have won a lot easier had he stuck with Clear Wing the whole time to stop Gongenzaka's monster effects, but hey, I wanted to give Paladin some spotlight. Poor thing got shafted so hard in the anime. :(**

 **As for next chapter, it'll probably be delayed until next month or so, since I've got finals coming up soon. But after that, I should have a less erratic schedule when it comes to updates (hopefully).**

 **Until then,**

 **-BasketballIsFun**


	8. Power Pressure

**Thanks for the myriad of reviews and support you guys have given me over the past few months! At last, here is the long overdue next chapter. I totally dropped the ball here, but better late than never I suppose. Enjoy. :)**

* * *

"What do you mean he's not here?!" Shun half yelled, half demanded at a receptionist.

Sawatari and Gongenzaka exchanged dubious stares as this was going on. It hadn't taken long for the Xyz native to blow a fuse once their plan didn't come to fruition right away. It was supposed to be simple: Head over to the Leo Corporation tower and demand answers from Reiji, whom they all suspected knew more than he was letting onto, _again._

Unfortunately, they hadn't taken Kurosaki's short temper into consideration when it came to this simple task. Before things turned ugly, Gongenzaka stepped in to defuse the situation.

"Listen ma'am, I know Reiji's a busy man, but it's really urgent that we speak to him as members of the Lancers," the steadfast duelist spoke quietly, and when that didn't elicit a reaction from the considerably young receptionist, he dropped his voice to an even lower pitch. "Can you at least let him know we're here?"

She sighed in resignation, perhaps complying just so that they would go away. "Very well, I will inform President Akaba of your arrival."

"That won't be necessary," a familiar voice interjected, and the three young men turned to find none other than Reiji himself strolling casually towards them from out of nowhere. "I understand the three of you wish to speak with me."

"You're damn right we do! You owe us an explanation, tell us what's going on or—"

"Or _what_ , Kurosaki?" his tone was calm, but Reiji's message was clear from his narrowed eyes. "It wouldn't be appropriate to make a scene here, don't you agree?"

"I don't care who sees!" Kurosaki retorted loudly, every pair of eyes in the lobby drawn to him. "At least this way they'll see you for who are, nothing but a manipulative, ly—"

He was promptly cut off by Gongenzaka, who had him in an iron grip. Sawatari slapped a hand over his mouth, then sheepishly grinned at Reiji. "We can talk in private, Kurosaki's just a bit, well, anxious."

"Very good, follow me. We can discuss this matter in my office," the CEO replied, turning around without waiting for a response.

After a series of glares and unspoken arguments, Gongenzaka finally released Kurosaki from his grip, the Raidraptor user saying nothing of it before storming off in the direction Reiji had gone in.

The ride up the elevator to the President's floor was quiet, painstakingly so as you could slice through the tension in the air with a knife. The resounding ding and automated voice announcing their arrival was a welcome reprieve from the awkward situation to Sawatari and Gongenzaka, both eager to get this over with.

Once they were in his office, an enormous room overlooking the city, Reiji stood before them in front of his desk, arms crossed. "So, how may I help you today, gentlemen?"

The three Lancers exchanged looks before conceding point to Gongenzaka, although Kurosaki's nod to him seemed a bit more reluctant than Sawatari's. "We came to you about Yuya. None of us can figure out what's going on with him. He says Zarc's no longer influencing him, but if he still has his dragons… Reiji, please, between us Lancers, tell us what's going on."

"That would require me to actually _know_ what's going on, would it not?" the President replied with an eyebrow arched. "My information is limited, but I suppose it could be of some use to you three."

Reiji moved over to his desk console, typing in a series of commands as several recordings of a baby and a simultaneous duel appeared on the big TV plastered on the wall.

Sawatari gasped. "Is that…"

"Yes, that is Reira," Reiji affirmed. "As I'm sure you know by now after your interrogation of Yuya the other day—"

"You knew about that?" Sawatari questioned.

"I have eyes everywhere Sawatari, of course. Anyhow, our research was capturing footage of Reira during Yuya's duels, and the results are… puzzling, to say the least. This is from his duel against Masumi the first day," The three of them watched as the dueltainer summoned Odd-Eyes and a new hybrid Fusion form of his ace monster; Reira appeared almost happy, even letting out a small giggle. But when Starving Venom appeared, the dark presence of presumably Zarc seemed to consume her, a blank stare on her face while her vitals became alarmingly slower.

"It seems that Zarc's negative influence doesn't affect Reira even while Odd-Eyes is out on the field. From what I can gather, it may be because Odd-Eyes itself serves as a reminder to Zarc of his own past, simply wanting to entertain the crowd, according to my father's insight. And being wielded by Yuya, who's essentially a carbon copy of who Zarc used to be, seemed to have subdued his darkness temporarily."

"Yuya was also talking about the dragons and their own feelings…" Gongenzaka mused. "You think that has anything to do with it?"

"It's possible. Ever since the ARC system and Real Solid Vision were conceived, duel monsters have shown emotion of their own, even at times deviating from their duelist's commands. Zarc's other dragons may harbor resentment, possibly hatred towards humanity for their separation, though Odd-Eyes seems to be the exception, perhaps because he represents Zarc's own innocence."

"That's big leap to make from just a few of Yuya's words. The guy's messed up from the war, it might just be PTSD. Hell, as Zarc, he _was_ a monster! You can't just come back from that all fine and rosy, can you?" Sawatari argued.

"Still, Yuya's been able to control the dragons so far. If they are feeling vengeful, we haven't seen much of it," Kurosaki interjected, as he looked at the footage of Yuya's duel with Gongenzaka just about an hour ago. This time, Reira whimpered when Clear Wing Synchro Dragon was summoned without Odd-Eyes's presence, but otherwise, she had been fairly neutral throughout the rest of the duel, until Odd-Eyes Wing Dragon was summoned. There, her heartbeat skyrocketed, pulse was dangerously high, and tears were shed before the other entity within her body attempted to counteract this, a bright aura shrouding the infant, keeping the darkness at bay.

"What was that?" Kurosaki demanded, though he had a pretty good idea already.

"Why, none other than Ray Akaba, my older half sister who perished to save the dimensions," Reiji stated calmly. "Her soul also inhabits Reira's body, she and Zarc clash each and every moment, fighting for control."

"Well, we knew that already, but still…" Sawatari shook his head in pure disbelief.

"Things do seem grim, yes," Reiji finished. "But our top scientists have studied her vitals, brain patterns, and activity in general; they assure me that her condition is not life threatening at the moment."

"Not life threatening? She's being possessed by two people who were supposed to be dead decades ago, one of them being a demonic duelist who tried to destroy the world. That sounds pretty threatening to me," Kurosaki replied with a scoff.

"I never said the situation was sustainable, did I?" Reiji countered; his face contorting into a grim look. "Reira can't live like this forever, this has to end one way or another."

"You're not saying…" Gongenzaka started, unable to even finish such a horrifying thought.

"No, not yet at least. But she's been utterly mute, even while being plagued by nightmares and reliving Zarc's wretched past. The only thing that resonates with her now is the dragons." The image on the screen changed, a detailed report of the four Dimensional Dragons appearing on the screen. "They hold a deep connection to Zarc. Take Odd-Eyes for example, it represents Zarc's past as an entertainer, much like Yuya himself. But the others, they appear to be much more… malicious. With the clips you've seen, all of them but Odd-Eyes seemed to have agitated Reira and brought out his darkness. So far, it's only come in spades, given how Yuya's been utilizing them, but I believe it's time for him to up the ante."

"You mean summon more dragons at once? That doesn't sound like a good idea," Sawatari said warily, a chill running through him.

"I admit it's a calculated risk. However, they are Yuya's to command now though, that's the important thing to remember. Perhaps his dueling style can pacify them and in turn, relinquish Zarc's hold on Reira."

"What if you're wrong though?" Kurosaki asked. "What if bringing the dragons together only makes Zarc stronger? Yuya can't possibly change whatever feelings they have that quickly."

"I'm with Kurosaki here. Why can't we just ask Yuya to stop using the dragons? I know it'd kill his dueling career and all, but Reira's _life_ is at stake here," Sawatari chimed in.

"I'm afraid Zarc's revival may be inevitable at this point. His presence within Reira grows stronger each day, Ray cannot hold him back for long. Our doctors here at Leo say there's nothing we can do for her; whether Zarc returns in a day or years from now."

"Wouldn't it be better to hold out though?" Gongenzaka persisted, startled as to how businesslike Reiji was approaching the situation.

"You would think so, but Zarc's already affected her enough as it is. Low brain activity, dismal vital signs, and she still remains utterly mute. Should this go on long term, the damage would be irreversible. However, if Yuya were to be able to placate the dragons and dampen their hostility that fuels Zarc, then perhaps there's a chance that—"

"Are you serious?! You want us to put the kid's life on the line and force her to go through all that?" Kurosaki said disbelievingly as he pointed to the monitors with her reactions to the Dimensional Dragons being summoned. "It'll kill her! Yuya's a great duelist, but he's not a miracle worker!"

"On the contrary, I believe I have Reira's best interests at heart here. Spending the rest of her years as a lifeless vegetable… that's no life at all, is it?" Reiji replied curtly, before adding discreetly, "Besides, it is Yuya's decision and his alone to choose how he'll duel. He's fully aware of what's at stake."

"So what do you want _us_ to do then?" Sawatari questioned.

"For starters, keep an eye on Yuya. It seems he's been doing some sneaking around himself recently," Reiji said, two different feeds appearing on the screen. The first was of Yuya vanishing into thin air after a glow came from his duel disk, his Extra Deck to be precise, and the second was a live feed.

"You're keeping eyes on him at all times," Gongenzaka said; a statement, not a question.

"Not 24/7. While I do trust Yuya's judgment, you can never be too careful. It seemed necessary after that first instance you just saw," Reiji replied coolly.

"Honestly, that's not surprising at all to me, considering what we've seen Yuya do, but… wait, is Yuya inside a _retail store_?" Sawatari asked, motioning to the live feed.

"I don't see anything unusual about that."

"Yuya never buys clothes on his own, never mind goes to have them tailor made," Gongenzaka said with a shake of his head.

"Perhaps this is worth looking into then," the CEO mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. With a flick of a switch, audio appeared on the feed as Yuya approached a mild-mannered woman behind the store counter.

"… looking for that kind of design, for someone about my height, similar build," the boy had finished describing whatever it was he wanted to the store associate.

"I see…" the lady he was talking to seemed to be choosing her words carefully. "Just who exactly is this for anyway?"

"Oh, uh, just someone from out of town, she can't find these kinds of designs where she lives, so I figured I'd do her a favor," Yuya seemed sheepish as he answered.

"Sounds like this girl's someone special to you." They could all hear the teasing manner of her voice.

Her words had an immediate effect on Yuya, the boy reddening profusely. "N-no, she's…" Yuya paused, his face scrunching up before muttering an answer, "just a friend."

"Well okay then! We should have it ready in a few hours, come back then!" the clerk replied cheerfully.

Yuya managed a smile and a brief "Thanks" before practically darting out of the shop, presumably to avoid further embarrassment.

"Huh, that's interesting," Sawatari said with a devilish grin on his face. "I never knew Yuya had a girlfriend."

"He doesn't though," Gongenzaka argued. "And if he did, she wouldn't be from outside the city. The only time Yuya's left the city is when we went to go save the dimensions."

"You heard him though, you don't stutter like that about people who aren't girlfriends, or at the very least, someone you've got a crush on. Take it from the ladies expert himself, Gongenzaka."

"Whatever his relationship with this girl is, it's something. A lead at least," Kurosaki interjected, feeling as though he was missing something, a clue to key them in onto what was happening.

Gongenzaka shook his head. It seemed as though the secrets when it came to his best friend would never cease at this rate. Did he truly know Yuya as well as he thought he did? Or was there another side to him that even he was unaware of?

"Speculation won't get us far," Reiji's voice interrupted a developing silence. "You all know what's at risk here now, so I expect you all to act accordingly."

Kurosaki could feel the man's eyes on him in particular at the statement. "I— _we_ can't do this to Reira. There has to be another way," he insisted.

"There _is_ no other way. Zarc's revival began the instant Yuya summoned the dragons, perhaps even earlier than that," Reiji reiterated. "You are going to duel him after your match with Mieru tomorrow, and force him to bring out the best of what he has to offer. I suspect he's only shown us a fraction of the dragons' full power. But if he uses them the right way…"

"What is the right way?" Sawatari interjected.

"I beg your pardon?"

"What is the right way for Yuya to use the dragons, considering they were once possessed by a dimensional demon?"

"The way Yuya always uses his monsters: To bring happiness and smiles to others. It's a tricky balance to achieve with so much power at hand, but it's the only option."

"Fine," Kurosaki agreed begrudgingly, a threatening finger aimed at Reiji. "But if this goes wrong, and Reira doesn't make it…"

"I will accept full responsibility, any punishment you see fit for my negligence," he replied with a nod, his face impassive. "Now then, I suppose you boys better head on home for the big day tomorrow. It will all be over then."

It took everything the three of them had to not object as they were escorted from the office, though they knew Reiji was right in his proclamation. One way or another, the whole Zarc ordeal would be resolved tomorrow.

And maybe, just maybe, there would be a sense of peace to go with it.

* * *

The arena had filled up in short time for the final semi-final match, a palpable tension in the air. Yuya had opted to watch from the dressing room provided to the participating duelists instead; an attempt to alleviate the building pressure and anticipation he had for his own duel to follow.

Kurosaki appeared to be all business, much to Gongenzaka and Sawatari's relief. Despite Mieru making tremendous strides as a duelist during their interdimensional travels, they knew Kurosaki was the one who could truly challenge Yuya and bring out the best in him.

If the Raidraptor user were to advance, he'd have to be in the right mindspace. They could only hope he wouldn't let Mieru get in his head, what with her being clued into whatever Yuya's condition was, but given Kurosaki's short fuse, there was no telling how things would transpire.

As Nico Smiley and Melissa Claire made their usual opening remarks of the duel to come, the two duelists in question faced one another, Kurosaki remaining as stoic as ever while Mieru radiated an aura of charming confidence. Neither uttered a word, but it was clear this duel was personal from the way they eyed each other.

 **[ACTION FIELD: GAIA POWER]**

 **Turn 1**

 **Shun: 4000 LP, Hand: 5**

 **Mieru: 4000 LP, Hand: 5**

"To start, I summon Raidraptor – King Lanius from my hand! And thanks to its special ability, I can call out another bird to the flock! Here's Raidraptor – Avenge Vulture!"

 **Raidraptor – King Lanius: Lvl 4, 1300 ATK, 1000 DEF, Winged Beast, Effect, DARK**

 **Raidraptor – Avenge Vulture: Lvl 4, 1700 ATK, 100 DEF, Winged Beast, Effect, DARK**

"I end my turn with two facedowns, your move," he concluded, much to everyone's surprise.

"That's it?" Mieru groused, disappointed by the display. "I didn't need any type of foresight to predict that move from you."

"Funny how you talk about being predictable when your strategy relies exclusively on flip summoning," he shot back. "Let's see if you can back up your talk."

"We shall," she replied, holding back a taunting smile. "My turn!"

 **Turn 2**

 **Shun: 4000 LP, Hand: 1**

 **Mieru: 4000 LP, Hand: 6**

"I think it's only right that I start this," Mieru declared. "First I'll set a monster facedown in defense mode!"

 **Mieru's facedown monster: ?**

"Here we go again," Sawatari rolled his eyes, annoyed that he had lost to this style of dueling. There was a sense of disappointment from the crowd too, considering the high paced duels that had transpired prior.

"Then, I activate the spell: Oversight!" Mieru continued. "This allows me to turn back the clock back to the beginning of the turn, only the field and my hand remains the same. But since I technically haven't set any monsters this turn chronologically, I can now place another one facedown as so."

 **Mieru's facedown monster: ?**

"That'll be enough for now. I place one card facedown and end my turn," she said, inciting a rush of murmurs from the crowd. So far, the duel had been complete boredom. "A predictable turn, maybe, but there's more to it than what initially meets the eye."

"I'll be sure not to waste mine like you," Kurosaki proclaimed, a fire in his eyes. "I draw!"

 **Turn 3**

 **Shun: 4000 LP, Hand: 2**

 **Mieru: 4000 LP, Hand: 2**

"You've set yourself up poorly. I have two monsters to match yours. You do the math," Kurosaki remarked almost indifferently. "Avenge Vulture—"

"Don't even think about it," Mieru interrupted. "I play my trap: Flipsanity! I can activate this trap when my opponent attacks one of my facedown flip monsters. Now until the end of the turn, by also paying 500 life points, none of my flip monsters can be destroyed. As the name suggests, I have to flip all my monsters to face up attack mode though."

 **Mieru: 4000 – 500 = 3500 LP**

 **Prediction Princess Coinorma (revealed): Lvl 4, 800 ATK, 1400 DEF, Fairy, Flip, Effect, EARTH**

 **Prediction Princess Petalelf (revealed): Lvl 3, 800 ATK, 700 DEF, Fairy, Flip, Effect, EARTH**

"Mieru's taking a big risk when she could've just kept em in defense mode!" Melissa exclaimed.

"Not quite, my co-commentator in crime. This is all a part of her strategy. Just watch," Nico said to reassure her and the audience.

"High risk, high reward," Mieru said with a shrug. "Now I activate Petalelf's flip effect, switching all of your face up monsters to defense mode! And pairing it with Coinorma's ability, I can set another Flip monster facedown from my deck straight to the field. This one's staying on defense though, since I brought it out after my trap activated."

 **Raidraptor – King Lanius: 1300 ATK to 1000 DEF**

 **Raidraptor – Avenge Vulture: 1700 ATK to 100 DEF**

 **Mieru's facedown monster: ?**

"Not bad, but now you've given away your trump card, I can do this!" Shun said in immediate retaliation. "I overlay Level 4 King Lanius and Avenge Vulture now to build the Overlay Network! Now watch as their might coalesces into one mighty monster! A terror that strikes in the darkness, rise now Raidraptor – Blade Burner Falcon!"

 **Raidraptor – Blade Burner Falcon: Rank 4, 1000 ATK, 1000 DEF, Winged Beast, Xyz, OLU: 2, Effect, DARK**

"Since I can't destroy your monsters, I'll have to deal the maximum amount of damage possible instead! Blade Burner Falcon, attack Petalelf!" The monster soared through the air and slashed its talons at the aromatic monster, a protective shield stopping the attack straight on, while the damage Mieru suffered as a consequence was minimal.

 **Mieru: 3500 – 300 = 3200 LP**

"That's all for now, I'd make the most of your next turn," Shun said plainly, setting another facedown. "It'll be the beginning of the end for you."

"We'll see about that," she replied, a glint in her eye as she drew her card.

 **Turn 4**

 **Shun: 4000 LP, Hand: 1**

 **Mieru: 3200 LP, Hand: 3**

She smirked upon seeing her hand; there was a lot of potential there. "First, I'll flip Prediction Princess Arrowsylph into face up attack mode, allowing me to add a Ritual spell to my hand! I have just the right one in mind!"

 **Prediction Princess Arrowsylph: Lvl 4, 1000 ATK, 1400 DEF, Fairy, Flip, Effect, WIND**

 **Mieru's hand: 4**

"I'm activating the Ritual spell: Calamity Ritual! By tributing Level 4 Arrowsylph and Level 3 Coinorma, I can Ritual summon a Prediction Princess from my hand! Introducing once more, a sorceress sleuthing in the darkness who will emerge and guide those who seek clarity and fortune! Level 7 Prediction Princess Chronolight!" The arousing monster made its second appearance in the tournament with this summon, the crowd feeling drawn to it once more.

 **Prediction Princess Chronolight: Lvl 7, 2200 ATK, 1500 DEF, Fairy, Ritual, Effect, DARK**

Watching from above in his presidential suite, Reiji smiled slightly, pleased that the girl was at least attempting to put up a good fight.

"I'll activate its special ability! Once per turn, I can send a spell card from my deck to the graveyard and trigger its effect!" Mieru quickly chose the one to discard. "Go, Gaia Obstruction! With a touch of black magic, your fortune will now turn for the worst! Now you can't activate any spell or trap cards until the end of battle this turn!" Despite the bad news, Shun remained as impassive as ever.

"Chronolight, bestow despair upon Blade Burner Falcon with Bolts of Misfortune!" Mieru ordered, a bombardment of lightning bolts being directed at the Raidraptor as it eventually succumbed. The only indication Kurosaki would give of the damage, the first time he had taken damage all tournament, was limited to only a mere grunt.

 **Shun: 4000 – 1200 = 2800 LP**

"Your turn, Petalelf! Attack him directly now!" Mieru ordered, a bloomy burst of petals dispersing through the air. Though in spite of the attack's meagre appearance, it still dealt plenty of damage to Shun regardless, who still appeared unphased.

 **Shun: 2800 – 800 = 2000 LP**

"Is that it?" Shun asked, not looking fazed in the slightest.

"Yes?" was the girl's reply, unsure how to reply to the somewhat chilling inquiry.

"Good, now I can go on the attack," he said, brushing off his sleeve. "I activate the spell: Rank-Up-Magic Raptor's Force! I can use this card to bring back the Xyz monster you destroyed this turn, and then rank it up to an even stronger monster! Terror of the skies, spread your wings and break through this fierce battle! Rank Up Xyz Evolution! Arise, Rank 5 Raidraptor – Blaze Falcon!"

 **Raidraptor – Blaze Falcon: Rank 5, 1000 ATK, 2000 DEF, Winged Beast, Xyz, OLU: 1, Effect**

"Nice recovery," Mieru said with a somewhat strained smile. "I end my turn with a facedown."

Shun simply drew his card stoically in response.

 **Turn 5**

 **Shun: 2000 LP, Hand: 2**

 **Mieru: 3200 LP, Hand: 1**

"First, I'll summon a new monster to the field: Raidraptor – Tribute Lanius!"

 **Raidraptor – Tribute Lanius: Lvl 4, 1800 ATK, 400 DEF, Winged Beast, Effect, DARK**

The gravity of the situation was clear to Mieru; the way her field was currently structured, she wouldn't make it through the turn. Not without some external reinforcements.

"Smart move getting an Action Card while you can," Shun noted observingly. "We'll see if it helps. Tribute Lanius, attack Petalelf!"

Mieru pirouetted up into the air then, reaching to snag a card hanging by the tip of a synthetic tree branch.

"I activate Damage Banish," she declared, just as the devastating attack connected. "to negate all damage from this battle!" Petalelf succumbed in a bloomy burst, but more importantly, Mieru's life points remained intact.

"Clever, but I didn't need the damage," Shun commented. "Because since Tribute Lanius destroyed your monster, I can add a Rank-Up-Magic card from my deck to my hand. And I'm not stopping there. Blaze Falcon, use your Overlay Unit and activate your ability! Now your special summoned monster will be destroyed, and you take 500 points of damage for it!"

 **Shun's hand: 2**

 **Blaze Falcon: 0 OLU**

"I activate my trap: Ritual Resolve to prevent my Ritual monster from being destroyed!" Mieru declared.

"Nice try, I play a counter: Raptor's Storm, so that trap isn't protecting anything!" Shun retorted, Blaze Falcon firing a hailstorm of missiles at Chronolight. Mieru struggled to keep upright from the blowback of the strike, despite the minute loss in life points.

 **Mieru: 3200 – 500 = 2700 LP**

"I'm not finished yet! Blaze Falcon, bring the hurt and attack her directly!" he continued, not letting up for even a second. People watched anxiously, sensing the cold determination the Raidraptor user had to win the duel.

 **Mieru: 2700 – 1000 = 1700 LP**

Mieru nearly collapsed from the attack, down on one knee as she attempted to gather some resolve of her own to continue. Yuya looked on worriedly in the dressing room but knew he could do nothing about the situation. To everyone's relief (and partial excitement), the girl eventually got back to her feet, somewhat unsteady, but nonetheless still standing.

"Good, I wouldn't want you to yield so quickly anyhow," Kurosaki said simply. "I end my turn with a facedown."

"I may not have foreseen this," Mieru began, eyes closed as she put her hand on her duel disk to draw. "but fate can often be a fickle thing."

 **Turn 6**

 **Shun: 2000 LP, Hand: 1**

 **Mieru: 1700 LP, Hand: 2**

 _Just what I needed_ , Mieru thought, breathing a sigh of relief at her luck. It would certainly turn the tide of the duel. "As you'll find out now. I'm activating Monster Reborn to bring back Prediction Princess Chronolight from my graveyard!"

 **Prediction Princess Chronolight: Lvl 7, 2200 ATK, 1500 DEF, Fairy, Ritual, Effect, DARK**

Despite her reservations, Mieru knew it was now or never, time to go all in. Shun would never give her another chance like this. "Then I'll activate another spell: Respiteful Disavow! By paying 500 life points, I can send two Prediction Princesses to my graveyard from my deck in return. It's time to say goodbye to Prediction Princess Astromorrigan and Shadow Wisp," Mieru said with a shake of her head.

 **Mieru: 2200 – 500 = 1700 LP**

"Their sacrifice allows me do this with Chronolight's ability though!" she revealed. "It allows me to send my spell: Distorted Fusion to the graveyard to activate its effect! Now I can Fusion summon using the monsters I just sent! Eloquent mistress of the night, unveil your true colors and impose your unwavering will on this duel! With this monster, I call upon the powers of the fallen to give their strength! Emerge, Prediction Princess Necromedea!"

 **Prediction Princess Necromedea: Lvl 7, 2300 ATK, 1000 DEF, Fairy, Fusion, Effect, DARK**

As before, Mieru's monster sent chills through the crowd with its eyes so hypnotic, almost like staring at death itself. Its star shaped wand was perhaps the only somewhat reassuring aspect of it.

Across the field, Shun appeared to be shaken by it for reasons of his own, his fists clenched slightly, face turning pale. Mieru took advantage of his being distracted, searching for another Action Card to solidify a victory.

"Chronolight, strike at Blaze Falcon! Bolts of Misfortune once more!" Mieru ordered, still hopping around the field. Shun made no move to resist the attack, taking it full force, only to be knocked flat on his back.

 **Shun: 2000 – 1200 = 800 LP**

"Once more!" she declared, having finally snagged an Action Card. "With High Dive in play, this will seal it! Necromedea, finish off Tribute Lanius with Stunning Star Slash!"

 **Prediction Princess Necromedea: 2300 + 1000 = 3300 ATK**

A hush went over the crowd. Sawatari, Gongenzaka, and Reiji in particular were all on the edge of their seats as they wondered if Kurosaki would truly concede.

"Enough," he growled, eyes deadlocked. Mieru's head snapped up towards him, a tiresome, yet also… resentful (?) look on the Raidraptor user's face from the looks of things.

"I activate my trap Raidraptor – Risky Flight, halving the damage to Tribute Lanius and stopping it from being destroyed. It also ends the battle phase altogether. You're through," he declared, Mieru's worst fears being confirmed. _Of course,_ he would use a trap to save him, but it still hurt knowing how close she just came.

 **Shun: 800 – (1500/2) = 50 LP**

"End your turn."

"What?" she replied in confusion.

"End your turn," he repeated. "You have nothing left to do."

"I…" What could she even say? No cards in hand, no way to continue the battle phase if she could, _nothing._ "… end my turn. Necromedea's attack points return to normal now."

 **Prediction Princess Necromedea: 3300 – 1000 = 2300 ATK**

"Hmmph," Kurosaki said simply, drawing his card.

 **Turn 7**

 **Shun: 50 LP, Hand: 2**

 **Mieru: 1700 LP, Hand: 0**

"I'll make this quick. I activate the spell: Rank-Up-Magic Doom Double Force! This card brings back the Blaze Falcon you destroyed and ranks it up to a monster with double its rank!" Shun proclaimed, Mieru taking a step back in fear as the vortex of the Overlay Network appeared once more. "Falcon of ultimate creation, fly to victorious heights with the wills of your comrades in spirit! Rank Up Xyz Evolution! Come forth, Raidraptor – Ultimate Falcon!"

 **Raidraptor – Ultimate Falcon: Rank 10, 3500 ATK, 2000 DEF, Winged Beast, Xyz, OLU: 1, DARK**

"I activate Ultimate Falcon's ability! All of your cards on the field lose their effects, and your monsters each lose 1000 attack points!"

 **Raidraptor – Ultimate Falcon: 0 OLU**

 **Prediction Princess Chronolight: 2200 – 1000 = 1200 ATK**

 **Prediction Princess Necromedea: 2300 – 1000 = 1300 ATK**

"This is it! Ultimate Falcon, decimate Necromedea with Ultimate Full Burst! Destroy the enemy!" he ordered, venom in his voice.

With nothing left to give, Mieru accepted her fate, preparing for the massive blow to the best she could, but she still ended up being throttled several feet back as her life points drained to zero. The spot where Necromedea was desecrated was now a gaping hole in the ground, only visible for a split second before the Action Field turned off, leaving only a glaring Kurosaki and unmoving Mieru.

 **Mieru: 1700 – 2200 = 0 LP**

"Well now, _that_ was a thriller and a half, ladies and gentlemen!" Nico exclaimed, in an attempt to break the now unwavering silence in regards to what had just transpired. "Let's give it up for our winner, Shun Kurosaki! He'll be advancing to the finals to face our winner from the other side of the bracket, none other than Yuya Sakaki himself, moments from now!"

Despite his encouragement, the crowd didn't dare applaud until Mieru showed signs of movement, a timid thumbs up putting them in the clear. Medics rushed onto the field to test her vitals, talking her through whatever injuries she may have suffered as a result of the duel. Eventually, they seemed to reach an agreement, though Mieru waved away the stretcher they had brought out, opting to walk off on her own power.

As she passed Shun, he caught her arm by surprise. She looked at him quizzically, wondering what he wanted to talk to her about. Was he going to tell her he threw the duel the entire time and still won? That she should've at least put a challenge? Mieru did her best to suppress these thoughts, deciding to just listen.

"You didn't do half bad today, definitely pushed me more than I expected," he said simply. "A lot tougher than you look as well."

Mieru didn't reply, instead taking the compliment (could she call it that?) in stride, what with her new, ear splitting headache. She did manage a smile for the few people who greeted her on her way out of the arena though. However, the only image that came to the forefront of her mind in those moments was the ruthlessness on Shun Kurosaki's face when it seemed as though she had the upper hand. As if something had snapped within him…

She shuddered, before noticing her Fortune Prep Duel School teacher waiting in the main lobby for her, anxious and apparently ready to take her to the hospital. Though she wanted to sigh at the thought, she knew she needed rest.

* * *

Elsewhere, Yuya was still trying to process that last turn and a half of the duel himself in the dressing room, looking wistful and on edge at the same time.

" _We've got our work cut out for us this time, Yuya"_ Yuto said plainly.

" _That guy's more stubborn than me, getting through to him will be talking to a wall,"_ Yugo added with a grimace.

Yuya stood up, if only to get out to the duel field and stop all the self doubt (though having multiple souls within him, could it really be considered _self_ doubt?) flowing through his mind, though he did make sure to address it one last time to settle him and his counterparts down.

" _I know. But still, we have to try. For him, for them, for everything depending on this going right. And we're going to find a way."_

* * *

 **Thanks for reading this chapter guys! As you all can see, I'm not dead! But my writing skills are a bit rusty, and it took me a long time to put together this duel after my unforeseen hiatus (lots of personal stuff going on; school, job, stress, motivation dwindled, unsure where to take story next, thinking of other fics to write because priorities, am I right?), and yet it's still likely not up to the standard I had in previous chapters. If I made any mistakes, feel free to let me know.**

 **Sorry for leaving you guys hanging for so long, but hope you're willing to see me through to the end of this fic, inconsistency and all. If not, that's fine as well, totally understandable. Regardless, thanks to everyone's encouraging comments over the past few months, I doubt I would've been able to write this without them.**

 **Too many buffs for ol Mieru just for her to lose in the end? Well, I had to have her put up** _ **some**_ **fight against Shun, but not enough for her to win. Also gave Ultimate Falcon the final blow because that monster got crapped so much in Arc-V, I had to give it a win here.**

 **Edit: Forgot to write in Mieru's OC cards**

 **Oversight - Keep everything on the field and in players' hands the same. Allows time to be turned back to beginning of turn without altering anyone that occurred. Tl;dr Another free normal summon/set.**

 **Flipsanity - Activate only if a monster you control in facedown defense position is being attacked. Pay 500 life points to activate. Flip over all your facedown monsters you currently control to attack position faceup, these monsters cannot be destroyed this turn.**

 **Ritual Resolve - Prevents the destruction of one Ritual monster once.**

 **Respiteful Disavow - Discard two Prediction Princess monsters from your deck to your graveyard.**

 **Next duel will feel a lot more personal.**

 **Speaking of which, I'm not going to give a timeline for when next chapter will come out. Mainly because you guys would probably be skeptical I'd meet such a date anyhow given how I vanished for the past couple months, and because it seriously hampered my writing when I struggled to write this chapter, worrying about how I didn't fulfill my designated post date. So I'll just go with the flow at this point, though I do have a good chunk of it and the next chapter finished already. Perhaps sometime next week if I grind it out? Maybe, but that's not a promise. ;)**

 **Once again, thanks to everyone who read this chapter, means a lot to me. And if you stumbled upon this long ago archived story and are interested in reading what happens next, you can follow, fav, review, and all that stuff. I should be back to stay for the next few months, hopefully no more disappearances.**

 **Till then,**

 **-BasketballIsFun**


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